Changes
by Galxychld
Summary: A new arrival to Matavai brings about some changes for our characters.
1. Default Chapter

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Author's Note: Hey, Fanfiction put up a TOTSS page! Wow, great! I am going to post my story then, as well as on Carolyn's fanfic page. And I am going to update it very soon, I promise! Enjoy the story, and please read and review! It will be a David/Isabelle eventually, they're just so great together!

Changes

The day was warm, but a refreshing breeze danced its way along the harbor as the ship from Sydney pulled up to Matavai Bay. The regular dockworkers watched it with interest. This was not a ship from one of the normal runs they saw. They watched with even more interest as only one passenger departed, carrying one carpetbag and directing the placement of one single trunk. As she straightened up and started walking towards them, they stopped and stared. She was of medium height, and modestly covered by a deep blue skirt and pale blue blouse, but the ever-present breezes wrapped the cloth tightly around her slender, yet sweetly curved, figure. She plucked her hat off her head and stood for a moment, closing her eyes and breathing deeply of the island air. Her loosened hair, cut short at just below her shoulders, blew around her face in a shining chestnut cloud. As she continued her walk, passing each of the men, their heads turned to take in the delicate features and admire her graceful yet determined steps.

She paused at the edge of the dock to confer with the captain of the ship. He spoke a few low words to her, then pointed in the direction of Lavinia's bar. She nodded and gave him a sweet smile, and he tipped his hat to her and turned to go back to his ship. The young woman took one more look around her, then, clutching the carpetbag more securely and placing her hat back on her head, started towards the town.

David Grief was occupied in a card game, but his head often turned towards the corner where Mauriri Lepau, his former partner, was nursing his drink and steadfastly refusing to look in David's direction. David sighed. It had been two months since Jenny had been shot, and in spite of every overture he could think of, Mauriri still hadn't forgiven him for risking the _Rattler_ and taking their money to give to the duplicitous woman. David was supremely grateful that Isabelle Reed had stepped in and offered to bail David out by paying for repairs to the ship, thereby making her his partner. Not only had Isabelle saved the ship, but insisted that she be a part of the running of the business. David had been annoyed at first, but he was discovering that Isabelle had as shrewd a head for shipping as she had for horse breeding, and she was turning out to be a very good sailor. He found himself enjoying her company and her sharp tongue more than he expected.

Lavinia sighed as she watched the two men who were her best friends in the world. She couldn't think of anything she hadn't tried that would break the ice between them, and it hurt her heart to see the rift between two formerly close friends and partners. She was distracted from her ruminations by the entrance of a stranger. The young woman was looking around her with interest, one hand holding a sturdy carpetbag. She spoke to one of Lavinia's girls, who turned and pointed to Lavinia. The girl thanked her and approached the bar.

"Are you Lavinia?" she asked. Her voice was low but steady, and Lavinia could hear from the accent that the girl was American. She nodded, and the girl's face broke into a dazzling smile. It transformed her face from stunning into outright beautiful, aided by the fact that the intensely sapphire blue eyes were now bright and shining. "Oh, good!" she exclaimed. "I am in desperate need of a room to stay, and the captain of the ship I arrived on said that you might have something. Do you have a room? I am prepared to pay whatever price you ask."

Lavinia was taken aback by the directness of the girl's words, but she recovered quickly and replied that she did. The girl then sighed.

"Thank you. I was afraid that I would have to spend the night sitting on the beach and watching the water. Not that it isn't a nice thought, but perhaps it would be safer to stay inside." Her smile was infectious, and Lavinia found herself grinning back. "Oh, I'm sorry. My name is Kathryn Leighton, by the way."

Lavinia frowned a bit. Leighton…the name was familiar. Before she could think of where she had heard it, David came up to the bar and set down his glass. "Another, if you please, Lavinia," he said. "I'm doing quite well at the table, and need to not be thirsty."

Lavinia rolled her eyes and reached for his glass, but before she could even pour, Kathryn turned and stared at David. He glanced at her and blinked at her intense scrutiny. 

"David? David Grief? Is that you?"

David was surprised to hear this stranger refer to him by name, but he returned her gaze, and after a few moments his brow cleared.

"Katie? Oh my God, is that you? You've grown up, little girl!"

Her face broke into a brilliant smile, and she laughed. "It's to be expected, David, it's been almost six years!" She then flung herself at David, catching him around the neck, and he hugged her back, laughing as he spun her in a circle. He then set her down, grabbing her shoulders and looking her over from head to toe as she held onto his arms and smiled. 

He shook his head in astonishment. "When I last saw you, you were barely beginning to wear dresses instead of trousers and refused to put your hair up, and you were still a girl! Look at you now! You're absolutely lovely."

"I've grown up, David. I'm an adult now."

"You are that," he agreed. He then turned to Lavinia and said, "Lavinia, may I present Miss Kathryn Leighton, formerly known as Katie, who, if I am up on current events, is the head of Leighton Shipping Enterprises."

Lavinia's eyes widened. So that was why the name was so familiar! Leighton Shipping was one of the foremost companies in America, and was making quite a name for itself in the South Seas. And this girl was the head of it? And wanted a room at her place? Why, she had enough to rent herself the best house in town, not a little room attached to the back of a bar! 

Kathryn seemed to sense the source of Lavinia's surprise, because she said, "I like your place, Lavinia. I would like to room here; there's so much going on! I've never been one to isolate myself when interesting things were happening around me. And please, call me Katie. Kathryn always seemed to me to be so stuffy."

"Well, Katie it is then. Welcome to Matavai. I can take you up to your room now, if you like."

"Thank you, Lavinia, I would appreciate it. I only have one trunk back at the dock, but I don't need it right away. Can I pay you in advance for two week's rental on the room?"

Lavinia nodded and quoted a price. Katie raised her eyebrows, then counted off several bills, adding extra to what Lavinia had asked for. Katie waved her off, saying that she knew the price was much too low, and the money she offered was only fair. With a smile, Lavinia took it and began to lead Katie up the stairs. Katie turned and admonished David to be sure to be waiting when she got back down, then continued following Lavinia up.

David turned and leaned back against the bar, shaking his head in astonishment. Katie Leighton, after all those years! His mind remembered the whirlwind of energy that had been 17-year old Katie, and compared it to the young woman he had just spoken to. He could sense that the fire was still there, but now much more managed, and in an even lovelier form. He looked around him suddenly, noting that several men had turned their heads to watch Katie walk up the stairs. He sighed. Dear Lord, it had been trying enough when she had been seventeen; he was sure that his protective instincts towards the girl he considered a little sister were going to be sorely tried now that she was fully grown. In spite of that, he was really delighted that she had shown up. He had missed her; the few letters they had exchanged over the past six years had been nice, but nothing like face-to-face conversation. He knew that she had endured tragedies over the years, and he had wished he could have helped her somehow. Well, now was his chance to catch up and see if his friend needed anything from him, which he would be happy to do for her.

He spotted Isabelle entering the bar and pausing to speak to one of her feed suppliers, and took a moment to admire her. She was dressed in her working "uniform" of trousers and a green shirt, and her thick dark curls were softly pulled back from her face, a few wayward tendrils dancing in the gentle breeze. He watched her animated face, smiling as she shared a laugh with the other man. She was an intriguing mixture of tough business sense and vulnerable woman who was still learning about keeping deep friendships. And he found himself wanting more and more to be the one to teach her. 

Isabelle finished her conversation with the man and headed over to David. He smiled at her as she leaned up against the bar next to him, and she returned his smile with a grin of her own.

"The horse business going well, Isabelle?"

"It's doing wonderfully, as you're well aware of, David. After all, you ask me about it every time I see you. How's your game going?"

"Well enough."

"Then why aren't you playing?" She cocked one eyebrow and glanced at him.

"I met up with an old friend. Kind of distracted me. She should be coming down any minute; she's rented a room from Lavinia."

"Ah," was Isabelle's only comment. She felt a little stab of hurt. She wasn't sure exactly why the thought that another woman had entered David's life was painful, and she didn't really want to examine it. It was bad enough that she felt almost compelled to seek out his company more often than their partnership, or even friendship, demanded; the idea that she could have much deeper feelings frightened her. She had never really been in a serious relationship, and one with David Grief was a chancy thing. She and David were silent for a moment, then David's head turned towards the stairs as a lovely young woman descended them. His wide smile as he hurried over to her irritated Isabelle.

David took the young woman's hand and led her over to Isabelle. Isabelle noted, with some dismay, that this woman's beauty put Veronica Gray, Jenny Duval, and even Lavinia and herself, to shame. The girl's features looked as though a master sculptor had worked on her, and added a touch of exoticness in the shape of her eyes and cheekbones. Her gleaming waves of chestnut hair just brushed her shoulders, and her slender figure was still evident through the full skirt and blouse. Her large eyes, though, were what amazed Isabelle the most. They were the bright, direct blue of a fine sapphire, or a perfect summer sky, and they were fringed around by thick black lashes. She mustered a weak smile as the young woman stopped in front of her.

"Katie, I want you to meet my friend and business partner, Isabelle Reed. Isabelle, this is Kathryn Leighton, from America."

"Call me Katie, please," the girl said as she extended her hand and shook Isabelle's. "David calls me that, and I like it. It's just what I would want my big brother to call me."

Isabelle was confused. "David's your brother?"

Katie laughed. "Oh, no, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to imply that he was. No, David met me a few years ago when he traveled to America. He did a little business for my father, but while he stayed with us, I got to love him like a brother. I'm sure he didn't mind," she remarked, glancing at David with sarcasm in her voice. "I think he liked having a little sister to hero-worship him."

David shook his head even as he tried not to laugh. "As if you ever did more than heap abuse on me as though I really was your brother!"

Katie grinned at him, not denying his words. Isabelle smiled too, feeling an irrational surge of relief that this girl was not someone who had been romantically involved with David. She then frowned. Leighton? She knew that name. Suddenly it came to her, and her eyes widened as she looked at Katie.

"Leighton? As in 'Leighton Shipping Enterprises?' One of the fastest-growing businesses in the South Seas?"

Katie nodded. "That's me. I run Leighton Shipping. I became the head after my parents' death."

Isabelle's mouth dropped open a little. That being true meant that this young woman was not only disgustingly rich, but ran a very powerful and influential company. This would be very interesting. Isabelle intended to be a very good friend to this girl. It never hurt to cover your back in the shipping business.

"Wait. Isabelle Reed? David, is this the Isabelle that you write about in your letters?" Katie asked. Isabelle blinked in surprise that David had mentioned her, and she turned her head to stare inquiringly at him. She was even more surprised to see that David was blushing slightly as he acknowledged Katie's question in the affirmative. She felt a blush coming into her own cheeks, and quickly turned her gaze back to Katie. 

Katie's eyes darted between the two of them, and a small smile flitted over her lips before she schooled her features into pleasantness. Isabelle herself darted a glance over at David, and felt relieved that he wasn't looking at her, and hadn't witnessed her moment of weakness. 

David took Katie's arm and said, "Why don't we sit down at that table over there? We can catch up in more comfort than standing around."

She nodded, then looked around and said, "Isabelle, why don't you and Lavinia join us? I'd hate to have to repeat myself on details of my life, and if we're going to be friends, I'd like to start out on even footing with you all. But, David, where's Mauriri? I thought he was your partner."

David's jaw clenched for a moment, then he replied shortly, "Mauriri and I had a falling out. We're no longer partners." 

"Oh, David, I'm sorry. Was it that woman you wrote me about?" At David's nod, she dropped her eyes, and then said thoughtfully, "Come to think of it, the last letter I got from you was that she had disappeared and you wanted to find her to learn the truth, and that you had spent all of your money trying to help her."

By this time, the four of them had reached the table and sat down. David sighed and said, "Well, the truth was that I spent all of _our_ money. I pretty much emptied our business account and didn't tell Mauriri. That betrayal of trust he still can't forgive. And even worse, Jenny turned out to be a thief, a liar, and a murderer. She was…shot. We never found the body. Isabelle gave the money to repair and make payments on the _Rattler_, and that's why she's my partner now." 

Katie nodded, and then said, "I'm sorry you had such a trying time, David. Though I am glad you have friends here who are willing to help you out, even when you make an idiot of yourself." She threw a grin at Isabelle, then raised her eyebrows and smirked at David, who merely shook his head. Lavinia smiled to herself. She was starting to like this girl very much.

"So, Katie, tell us what's been happening in your life? And maybe you could give a little background for Isabelle and Lavinia, so they don't pester me about details."

For old time's sake, Katie gave David a small punch on the arm, then settled down to her story.

"I'm actually connected to this island. David knows, but you don't, so I'll tell you. My grandmother was born on Matavai. She met my grandfather when he came here on a trading mission, and they fell in love and were married before he took her back with him to America." 

Lavinia was surprised, but as she looked closer at Katie, she could see where her Polynesian blood had added that hint of exoticness to her face. Katie continued with her story.

"My grandparents settled in Massachusetts. Grandmother liked it there; she could see the ocean. When Grandfather started his shipping company, there were many people who weren't comfortable with his Polynesian wife. So Grandfather simply didn't do business with them, and built it up with others who didn't care where Grandmother was from. 

"My mother met my father soon after Grandfather had moved her and Grandmother to California, where the business really took off. When Grandfather passed away, Father took over the business. He started to teach me about it when I was nine, and by the time I met David, I'd been running a small subsidiary of the company for a year."

They all found themselves very deeply interested in Katie's tale, even David, who knew the facts. They all leaned forward a little as Katie paused to sip at the water that Lavinia had brought her, and then she continued.

"David arrived in San Francisco just when my father was looking to expand the business. David told Father about the South Seas, and Father invited David to stay with us while they discussed the possibility of opening a shipping line to Australia and Tahiti. David was interesting to talk to, but such a wild thing," she remarked, throwing a glance at David, who merely shook his head and took a sip of his drink. Katie grinned, and continued. As she spoke of David's adventures while living in San Francisco, Lavinia and Isabelle eagerly drank in all she offered of David's antics. Lavinia wanted to know for the pleasure of something to tease her friend about later, and Isabelle listened to hear of David without really knowing why she was so interested.

"David became like a brother to me," Katie said, now smiling genuinely at him. "He never treated me like I was inferior simply because I was young and female, though he did his share of teasing! I made him promise to write me constantly when he left, and I moped about for nearly two weeks after he left us. But I have gotten about two letters a year from him, which I suppose is good for David."

She took a deep breath, and her face became a little more somber. "Now, to the less pleasant parts. Four years ago, I met a man named Michael Southton. We fell in love, and became engaged. Three weeks before our wedding, Father, Mother and Michael took a short trip a little way north. Their train derailed going around a mountain curve. So, in one night, I lost my parents, my fiancée, my whole world; all of it was torn away in an instant. I had been so happy, and then…"

She paused, clenching her jaw, but all could see the sheen of tears in her eyes. They were all silent; Lavinia and Isabelle found themselves with tears in their eyes as well, and even David, who knew the story, could not help but be moved by the raw emotion in Katie's voice. They sat that way for several moments, before Katie took a deep breath and swiped at her eyes. She lifted her head and gave them a tremulous smile.

"Sorry, it's just that-" Her sentence was unfinished as the other two women waved it off. She smiled again, and kept going. "Father left the entire company, and all of his estate, to me. So there I was, suddenly the owner of a very large and prestigious company, with a huge piece of property. I was overwhelmed at first, but I relied on the foremen of the company to teach me what I needed to know. All I have of Michael is this." She put a hand to her collar and slipped out a delicate filigreed rose on a gold chain. Isabelle and Lavinia admired the delicate workmanship, then Katie slipped it back under her blouse.

"Now, in his will, Father left me in charge of development of a South Seas shipping route. It was a dream he'd had ever since we first met David, and we'd often talked about what we would do with it. I finally launched it six months ago, and things were going quite well until about a month ago."

David was curious. "What happened?"

Katie stared back at him solemnly. "We think it's pirates."

David felt his gut clench. Jenny. He knew that she had to be dead; Isabelle had very good aim and that shot had not missed its mark. However, they never had found the body, and at the mention of pirates…

Katie glanced at him curiously, but Isabelle and Lavinia had an idea of what was going through his mind. Isabelle laid her hand on his arm and gave her head a slight shake. He let out a tiny breath and nodded briefly in return. Katie decided it was something between the two and spoke again.

"This part of the business has more meaning for me. It was the last thing Father had assigned to me, and besides, it was a connection to David and happier times. I wasn't about to let anyone else handle it, so I came myself. And David, I have to ask you something. I need your help to catch these people, or Leighton Shipping will cease to exist in the South Seas." 

"Me? Are you sure you don't want to go to the officials about this?" he asked her.

"David, you know very well that the officials here will make me jump through hoops to present my case before they'd do anything, considering my company appears to be the only one being attacked right now. We think…it could be an insider. The attacks are too precise. Besides, David, I need someone who knows the islands around here, who can help me search them. I already sent a wire to your Lieutenant Morlais, and he said there was nothing he could do without evidence."

He pondered for a moment, then looked back at her. She was looking at him unwaveringly, and he knew he had to help. He nodded, and she grinned. He informed her that, as his partner, Isabelle would be coming along as well. Katie seemed fine with that. 

Isabelle, for her part, was rather intrigued to be involved in what promised to be another adventure. David and adventure seemed to go hand in hand. She just hoped that this would turn out to be better than the last time she'd had an adventure with him. Though shooting Jenny had seemed to be the only thing to do at the time, she wasn't sure if David still blamed her, in some part of his heart, and she wanted to build on their friendship without anything between them.

The three agreed to meet at the _Rattler_ early the next morning to start looking, and Katie kept them regaled with tales of her life for the rest of the afternoon. As evening approached, she watched David's attention drift more and more towards Mauriri. She noticed the furtive glances he sent towards his former partner, and she also noticed that Mauriri was casting a few of his own. When Mauriri finally left, David turned back to the conversation, but after a few moments, Katie took pity on him and said that as they were leaving early, he should walk Isabelle back. They exchanged pleasant good-byes, and when David had disappeared with Isabelle, Katie turned towards Lavinia.

"Lavinia, has it been that way between Mauriri and David since that Jenny person?"

Lavinia sighed. "Yes, it has. I don't know what to do. They were best friends; I think they still want to be, but Mauriri can't seem to let go his anger and David can't let go his pride. I sometimes wish that I could smack them both upside the head and make them see reason, or lock them up somewhere until they worked out their differences."

Katie nodded. "David's letters always talked about Mauriri, about their partnership, about the adventures they had. I was watching them today, and I think they really miss it, even more than they let on. I wish I could do something to help."

Lavinia smiled at her. "Well, it's good to know that David has such a caring friend. The three of you be careful tomorrow. If those pirates are around, I don't want to lose my newest friend. Oh, I forgot to ask David. Do you need me to come along? I know David barely speaks any of the dialects, and Isabelle's not much better, if you have to ask any of the tribes anything."

"Thank you, but I couldn't pull you away from your business. Besides, my grandmother and mother taught me their language. I'm pretty good at it." To demonstrate, she rattled off a greeting and asked Lavinia about her day and her general health, with quite a passable accent. Lavinia raised her eyebrows. She was impressed. She wished Katie a good night and promised to wake her in time for her to be ready to go with David in the morning, and watched the girl walk up the stairs to her room. She gave a little chuckle. If she was any judge of character, this young woman was going to stir some things up in the South Seas. It would be very interesting to watch.


	2. Part II

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Disclaimer: I don't own any of them, but I would have so much fun if I did! This story is just for fun and entertainment, so I hope you all enjoy it!

Author's note: I'm sooo sorry that it took so long to get part II ready! I just had a bunch of stuff happen. That pesky real life! Anyway, I apologize in advance for any errors in the Polynesian words and any boat terms-I used them to make the story more interesting. Please please please read and review, and I promise I will have part III up very soon!

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Part II

Katie skipped nimbly down the steps as she finished fastening her hair in a neat tail. She was dressed in jodhpurs and a green blouse, perfectly suited for a day at sea. She woke up even before Lavinia had come in, excited and a little nervous about seeking out the pirates that were attacking her ships. She smiled at a lovely blonde woman who was straightening up the counter behind the bar.

"Hello," she said, extending her hand. "I haven't met you yet. My name's Katie Leighton. I'm staying upstairs for a couple of weeks."

The woman smiled and took Katie's hand. "Hello," she replied. "My name is Clare Devon. I run the town newspaper, and occasionally help Lavinia out in the bar." Her voice was cultured, and Katie could tell from the accent that she was British. "Have you just arrived in Matavai then?"

Katie nodded. "Yesterday. I have some business here to take care of. Do you know David Grief? He's an old friend of mine."

Clare nodded. "He's a friend of mine, too. He and Lavinia were very kind to me when I arrived here."

"David's going to help me out today. Clare, do you know if Lavinia would have anything available for breakfast?"

"I believe so. There might be some fruit in the kitchen. Let me check." Clare walked around to the kitchen and came up with a papaya and a banana. She brought those out, along with a piece of pastry, and handed them to Katie. Katie smiled and thanked her, and Clare found herself smiling back. The young woman's cheerfulness and friendliness were very disarming.

Katie sat at one of the tables and ate the fruit, then picked up the pastry and walked to the doorway. She nibbled on the sweet bread as the cool early morning breezes caressed her face. She took a deep breath of the island air, tangy with salt from the nearby ocean. She then noticed that a man was standing on the sand a bit to the left of her, his arms holding a basket as he watched the water. She wasn't exactly sure, but it appeared to be the man David had pointed out yesterday as Mauriri. She quickly popped the last bit of pastry in her mouth and walked down to meet him.

She came up behind him, and softly said, "Hello." He quickly turned, startled by her arrival. Katie guessed that he had been too lost in his thoughts to hear her. 

"Are you Mauriri Lepau?"

He nodded cautiously, apparently wondering how this unknown person knew his name. She smiled at him, the brilliant blue eyes warm and friendly. "My name is Katie Leighton. I've heard so much about you, Mauriri, that I almost feel like I know you already."

Mauriri frowned. "Katie Leighton? Wait, are you the Katie that's D-" He abruptly stopped before saying the name. Katie dropped her eyes for a moment, then looked up at him with a sad little smile.

"Yes, the Katie that's David's friend. I'm so sorry that you're still angry with him, Mauriri. He misses you, you know."

Mauriri snorted. "Does he now."

"I'm sorry, I know it's not my place, but I have to say this. He does miss you, very much. Every letter I've received from him over the years mentions the two of you and your adventures. And last night, in the bar, he spent as much time looking over to where you were sitting as he did listening to me."

"So you were the cause of all the commotion last night."

She let out a breath of laughter. "Yes, that was me. David could hardly believe I was in Matavai. I could hardly believe it myself. Mauriri, if I may ask, there's more to this than just David taking the money and not telling you, isn't there?"

Mauriri paused for a moment, searching her eyes. He wasn't sure why, but her open manner made him less reluctant to talk to her. Besides, it would be good to talk to someone who was a little more removed from the events. He set the basket down and turned to face her fully.

"You're right, it's more than taking the money and not saying anything. David's dipped into the funds before. It's why he took it. And how much. He nearly drained the account, without thinking of what it would mean to my family, and me, and all for a woman that betrayed him. Even after we found out what she'd done, he still didn't come to me. He took my trust and trampled on it. And friendship doesn't exist without trust. I don't know if I can ever trust David with my welfare or that of my family's again."

Katie's eyes were somber. She had known that David's few words had not conveyed the whole truth of the matter. 

"And do you know how I found out? Not from David, oh, no," Mauriri continued. "I had to find out when I was trying to pay for some of the ship's expenses. I had to stand there in complete ignorance and humiliation while being told that the account didn't even have enough funds to stock the food for one trip!"

"So is it about all about trust, or a little about embarrassment too?" Katie asked. She held up a hand to forestall Mauriri's outburst. "No, I don't think it's just about the second, Mauriri, think about this. If David had come to you that very morning and told you what he had done, before you'd gone to make payments, would you have been quite as angry?"

Mauriri was silent as he contemplated her words. True, he had been mortally embarrassed to be told of the lack of funds instead of knowing, but he had not thought that _that_ had influenced his thinking…However, Katie was not quite done.

"And perhaps Isabelle is involved as well?" 

He stared at her as she gave that opinion. Isabelle? He was grateful that she had stepped in to keep the ship; it would have been hard to see it go to someone else, but how would she have influenced any of his feelings toward David?

Katie saw the confusion, and sought to explain herself. "I think that you like Isabelle as a person, and you value her decision to save the _Rattler_, but maybe there's a little hurt that she stepped into what was your place? I know I would have felt funny about someone coming in to my company and taking over some of my jobs, even without the history you and David have. Do you think that could be part of it too?"

Mauriri stared at her. David was right in his description of his American "sister." She was perceptive, perhaps even uncomfortably so. He had never really considered what she had said as being a part of his anger towards David, but now that she had mentioned it…it was not that farfetched. He opened his mouth, but found that he had nothing to say.

She gave him a brief smile. "I'm sorry if that sounded like I was putting myself forward too much. My father used to say that I leapt in without looking. It's just, well, from David's letters I know how much he treasures your friendship, and it saddens me to see how it is between the two of you. And I also wanted to say it because we're leaving for Raiatea in an hour or so, skirting the northern coves along the way. We're trying to see if we can find a trace of the pirates that have been attacking my ships. David brushed it off, but I'm not stupid. I know it's dangerous. It's just that there were things unsaid before my parents died, and I don't want that to be with you if...anything…happens. I'm sure we'll be fine, but…"

She broke off with a slight grimace. "There I go again, being maudlin. I don't mean to. It was very nice to finally meet you, Mauriri. I hope that we have a chance to become better friends."

Mauriri took her outstretched hand and pressed it between his own, and nodded slightly at her. She rewarded him with a brilliant smile, and then darted off back towards the bar. He shook his head in amazement. She was quite a character! But one that he thought he would enjoy getting to know. He picked up the basket he had set down and started on his way back home. He paused, and looked back at the _Rattler_ gently swaying in the waves of the bay. He hoped that Katie's words hadn't been prophetic. As much anger as he felt towards David, he would still never wish anything bad to happen to him, but he couldn't help the sudden hollowness in the pit of his stomach. 

"Be safe, all of you," he whispered. "And David, when you get back, maybe…maybe we'll have things to talk about." 

* * * * * * * *

Katie waited as the _Rattler_ skimmed over the top of another wave, then continued to make her way over to where David was handling the wheel. The day had turned out a little windier than expected, and though the air was still warm, the seas were a little choppier than usual. She joined David and smiled at him, pushing at the strands of hair that had come loose and were blowing across her face.

"Any orders, Captain Grief?" she asked. He smiled back at her. She had proved surprisingly competent on the way out. She'd shrugged off his comments, telling him that her father had told her that a person who ran a shipping company and didn't know how to sail was a damned fool. He had laughed at that, as had Isabelle, who'd been close enough to hear Katie. 

"We're fine right now, but do you think you could help Isabelle check out the rigging ropes? I want to make sure the halyards won't get stuck if we need to move the sails in a hurry. And it looks like Isabelle is having some trouble with the buntline." Katie followed David's line of sight and watched as his slender partner determinedly struggled with the heavy rope, which had become slightly tangled. 

"Aye-aye, Captain!" she said, throwing David a teasing salute just before nimbly moving along the deck and reaching Isabelle. The older woman threw a relieved look at David as Katie took one end of the rope and helped straighten it out. The two then began to check on the rest of the rigging. David smiled and shook his head. He had forgotten that Jacob Leighton had taken Katie out on the ships as often as possible, and had made sure his daughter learned. 

His gaze shifted, and he watched as Isabelle rode out another rough wave, her hands holding the ropes tightly and her feet braced against the deck. She was learning quickly; she'd had most of the sailing terms memorized in a week, and was doing a fine job actually working the ship. He liked having her company on their runs, as her fine mind and quick wit kept him satisfyingly occupied. He also found that he didn't mind the flush the salt air gave her delicate face or the sparkle that sailing put in her beautiful eyes. He watched her now as the wind blew her soft hair around her head, and stared in fascination at the line of her throat as she threw her head back and laughed at something Katie said. He quickly broke off his gaze as he saw Katie watching him watch Isabelle, and silently cursed the faint heat that had risen in his cheeks. Katie, for her part, merely smiled at the discomfort she could see from even a deck's length away. So, there _was_ something between David and Isabelle, even if they tried to deny it.

They approached the coves that dotted the north end of the island, and Katie noticed the sudden tension that seemed to grip both David and Isabelle. She looked at them, confused for a moment. 

"David, Isabelle, what's wrong? You've both got the oddest expressions on your faces." 

David spoke tersely. "This was where Jenny was shot, Katie. Neither of us feel all that comfortable here." 

Katie's eyes widened. Neither. David had said _neither_. "Isabelle, were you there when Jenny was shot?" She caught the glance between the two, and her quick mind seized on an answer. "Isabelle, David didn't shoot Jenny, did he." It wasn't a question.

David started to protest, but Isabelle cut him off. "Can we trust you to keep this to yourself, Katie?" The young woman nodded. Isabelle continued. "We were trying to catch up with Jenny. She was holding a gun on David, and she didn't look all that stable. I thought…I thought she was going to shoot him. She moved…and I shot."

There was an uncomfortable silence for a moment. Then David spoke up. "It wasn't your fault, Isabelle, I've already told you that. I have to admit that for a moment even I wasn't sure if she was going to shoot me or not. And I wasn't about to let Morlais try and wreak havoc on your reputation. That's why I said I shot her," he said, directing the last remark towards Katie. She nodded.

David turned the tiller towards the coves. He shrugged at Katie's inquiring glance. "We may not be comfortable here, little one, but there's a history of piracy here. It's as good a place as any to try and get some information." 

The short journey to shore was nearly silent. Katie sensed that Isabelle was still uncomfortable, if not with actually telling what had happened, then with what David's reaction still might be. 

Isabelle was worried about David, but not as much for what he felt towards her actions but if being here would reopen the wounds Jenny's shooting had caused, wounds that were only just healing. As the boat neared shore and she hopped nimbly out to pull it in, she glanced at David. His face was expressionless, but the look in his eyes was sad. He looked at her, and gave her a tiny smile. It eased the pressure on Isabelle a little.

The three noticed that a small group of natives were approaching the boat. Katie took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. "Well, I guess it's time to see just how much I learned of the language. What do you want me to ask them, David?"

"Ask them if they've noticed any extra activity outside of the regular ships that they see, and where those ships were going or coming from." Katie nodded at his instructions, and walked over to the small knot of people. David heard her start to converse in the musical language. She appeared to be communicating quite well. He noticed that she paused to hear their reply, then started again. He was able to catch a few words that he had learned from Mauriri: _popaa_, foreigner, _vahine_ and _tane_, woman and man, _tahua_, healer, and _maraamu_, the strong wind from the southeast. He frowned slightly. This did not seem to be the same tone she had used for her first exchange, which had presumably been about the extra activity, and she looked over at him and Isabelle, which she again had not done during the first exchange. One of the people she was talking to suddenly brightened, and darted off. 

Katie gestured for David and Isabelle to approach her, and as they did, she said one last word to the people and turned to them. "They're going to check with the other villagers if they've seen anything, and one other matter I asked them about." She refused to tell David what that matter was, keeping quiet until the man who had run off returned with yet another man in tow. 

The man spoke to Katie, placing something wrapped in cloth in her hand. David again heard the word _tahua_, and wondered what a healer had to do with anything. He heard Katie thank the villagers, and they started to leave. She turned to David and came closer. She had a troubled expression on her face. 

"David, they tell me that they've seen nothing unusual for a while. They do say they've seen a lot of ships with Morlais' men on them. Was he stepping up patrols in this area after Jenny?" At David's nod, she continued. "They told me that Raiatea was as good a place as any to look; they've heard that there was an increase in ships around there recently. And…I did ask them one other thing, David. Please don't be mad." Her face was pleading, and David, confused, simply told her he wouldn't be. She took a deep breath.

"I asked them if they'd seen a body wash up here in the last couple of months. A woman's body." David tensed at her words, realizing what she had asked the villagers. "David, they said there had been a body. They couldn't tell features, she'd…she'd been in the sea too long. They gave her a decent burial near the village, but their healer kept this in case someone came looking." She unwrapped the cloth bundle, and David saw a familiar gold locket. Jenny's locket. She must have had it pinned to the inside of her blouse, because David had not seen it that day, not that he had been looking that hard. Katie tipped the locket into David's hand. He accepted it numbly.

"David, I'm so sorry. I just thought you would want to know, for certain. I didn't mean to-"

"It's OK, Katie. You're right, I did want to know for certain. It's just…" He broke off, clenching his fist tightly around the jewelry. "Please excuse me." He turned and started to walk down the beach. Katie watched him go, her eyes pained. She was aware that Isabelle had come closer and was standing beside her.

"Katie, don't feel bad. David really did need to know. I think some part of him was perhaps hoping she had survived, but I'm glad that he's able to finish this now. He'll be all right, he just needs a little time."

"No, Isabelle, he needs to talk to someone. This is big, and bad. I'm guessing he'd talk to Mauriri about it, but now…"

"He can talk to you," Isabelle commented. "You're one of his oldest friends."

But Katie shook her head, and turned to Isabelle. "No, he can talk to you." Seeing that Isabelle was shaking her head, Katie went on. "Yes, Isabelle, you. I wasn't here for this. I don't really understand everything that Jenny put him through, everything that she put both of you through. He can't talk to me about it. He needs to talk to you." She gave Isabelle a gentle push in David's direction. "He needs _you_."

Isabelle wanted to protest, but she knew that Katie was right. She walked off after David, all the while arguing with herself that she should turn back. She wanted to be there for David, very much, but she was afraid that he wouldn't want her there. Or worse, that he would. She didn't know if she was ready to have David need her. However, each step was bringing her closer to the man sitting staring out at the water, and she couldn't stop herself.

She settled down next to him, and they sat silently staring out at the water for a few moments. Finally, David sighed. "I supposed Katie sent you after me."

"Yes, but if you want me to go, David, that's fine."

He shook his head. "No, it's OK. It's good to have you here." The unexpected reply startled Isabelle, and she couldn't think of anything to say. They sat there for a few more minutes, and then David spoke.

"I guess I never really allowed myself to believe that she was really dead. A part of me wished she was still alive."

Isabelle felt that odd ache again. David had wanted Jenny to have lived; he couldn't let go of his love for her. Hating herself for asking the question, she went ahead anyway. "So that you could try again with her?"

David threw her a puzzled glance. "No, Isabelle. Jenny lied to me, she stole from me, she was a murderer. She wanted to be in that prison just so she could escape with the bank's money. And on that ship, she raised a gun to my face. I would never have been able to trust her again, not with anything. No, it's not that." He gave a small, bitter laugh. "I'm not even sure anymore that I really was in love with her. Fascinated, yes, with a will to protect her and believe the best of her, definitely. I think I wanted to be in love with her, to prove my instincts right, so much that I convinced myself. But she tossed it all away, Isabelle, as easily as I do this." He picked up a small handful of sand and threw it in a glittering arc towards the sea. They watched the sand disappear into the water, and David said, "And it was about as solid as that sand."

Isabelle placed a hand on his arm. "I'm sorry, David. I'm sorry that she hurt you so."

"I think…I wanted her to be alive so I could ask her why. Why she had thrown away everything we might have had, why she threatened to shoot me, why she decided to gain my affection in the first place. How did it feel to know she hurt me so badly." He shook his head. "I guess we'll never know." He then did another unexpected thing. He covered Isabelle's hand with his own, and squeezed it warmly. "Thank you for listening to me, and for sticking by me even when I was being an idiot."

Isabelle laughed softly. "Oh, David, I knew you'd get your senses back eventually."

He smiled at her, a real smile this time, and then shocked Isabelle further by leaning over and dropping a gentle kiss on her forehead. She stared at him, her green-gray eyes wide, and he ran a callused finger down her cheek as his eyes looked into hers. He abruptly stood up and dusted the sand off his pants.

"Come on, let's get back to helping a good friend of mine catch some pirates. I have no doubt that your great right hook will come in useful if we do find them." He extended a hand to help her up, and Isabelle took it, ignoring the tiny tremor that ran through her as he pulled her up to face him. She smiled, and the two of them headed back to where Katie was waiting. Just before they reached her, David looked one last time at Jenny's locket, then drew his arm back and flung it into the sea. 

"Goodbye, Jenny," he whispered, then joined the two women and they headed back to the Rattler. Once on the ship, David looked at his young friend. "Time to find some pirates and make sure they don't bother you again." She nodded, giving him a smile before heading off to help Isabelle as they continued on their way to Raiatea.


	3. Part III

Author's notes: Still don't own them _sigh_. However, I am enjoying playing with them! Sorry for the long wait, but here's chapter III! Please forgive any typos or mistakes-I wanted to get this out without having to wait for betas. However, if anyone _is_ interested in beta-ing part IV, please let me know…Now on to the further adventures of our characters! Please read and review. _Shameless begging here._

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Part III

David cast a critical eye up at the sky, judging that they had about another hour before the fast-approaching storm would hit. He grimaced. He had been so eager to help Katie out that he had ignored the small signs that had hinted at a storm. The waves were choppy, and he knew that they had to reach Raiatea and get to the beach to find some shelter. He didn't want to risk them out on the _Rattler_ during a storm. 

"David?" The voice at his elbow made him jump, and he whirled around. Isabelle was standing slightly behind him, her eyes wide at his quick movement, and at the look in his eyes. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I was just going to ask if you thought we should get some blankets and food from the cabin. We are going to wait the storm out on land, aren't we?"

He raised one eyebrow, impressed at her expanding sailing savvy. "I didn't know you'd picked up enough of the feel of sailing to anticipate a storm. Yes, we'll need some supplies; it's going to be a hard storm. But we should try and keep calm, so as not to worry Katie."

Isabelle grimaced slightly. The faint flush of pleasure at his praise quickly faded. "I'd hoped I was overreacting about the severity of the storm, David. But I don't think we have to worry about Katie." They looked back at the slim girl, who was working on bringing the sails in a little. "She's the one who suggested I ask you about the supplies after I wondered about the storm. She's a trained sailor, David, and I think she already knows how strong the storm's going to be. She's worried, but not necessarily afraid."

He nodded, and threw a sharp glance at Isabelle. No, he hadn't been imagining it; her face was a shade or two paler. "And you, Isabelle? Are you afraid?"

She took a moment to reply, her gaze fixed on the approaching clouds. Her voice, when she spoke, was low and tight.

"A little, David. I don't like storms. They can do bad things…" Her voice trailed off, her eyes far away as she relived some painful memory. David reached out and gently took her chin in his hand, turning her head to face him. 

"Don't worry, Isabelle. I'm not about to let anything hurt you…or Katie," he hastily added. "You two mean too much to me to let that happen." As Isabelle's eyes widened, he realized exactly what he had said and silently swore. He hadn't meant to blurt out some of the complex feelings he had for Isabelle. He wasn't sure that either of them was ready for that. He backpedaled hastily, releasing her chin and giving her a crooked little smile. "Besides, you're too eager to go back and check on your newest horses to let a little storm get in your way."

She laughed, easily falling into their habitual teasing. "And you're too eager to ruffle Morlais' feathers some more to let a storm get the best of you." She turned and headed down to the cabin, pausing once to look back at the handsome captain. She wondered if David had really meant that she mattered to him; she couldn't deny the thump her heart had given at those words, but she firmly told it to keep quiet as she began to gather the supplies. She and David had never progressed beyond gentle flirtation; with both of their histories, it was unlikely that he could feel more for her, yet she couldn't help wishing that it were possible.

When Isabelle poked her head out of the cabin, the supplies neatly tucked into an oilskin pouch, she was greeted with a stiff wind that tossed her hair about, and she noticed that the sky was noticeably darker. She quickly moved over to David again.

"What do you want me to do?" she called to him above the sound of the wind. She saw that David had guided the _Rattler_ into a tiny bay, and was busy securing the ship. He barely spared her a glance before turning back to his work. 

"If you could help Katie lower the longboat, and then get into it with her, that would be a great help," he called over his shoulder. Isabelle nodded, then hurried over to where Katie was unfastening the ties. They worked together to release the boat, then settled themselves in it. They watched anxiously until David heaved himself over the _Rattler_'s side and into the boar, taking the oars to guide the boat to shore. Even that small distance from ship to shore was rough, with the choppy waves and rough wind conspiring to dump enough water on the occupants of the boat to make them thoroughly uncomfortable. Isabelle gritted her teeth and hung onto the sides of the boat as another wave sloshed in and splashed her legs. God, she hated getting wet when it wasn't her idea. She looked over at Katie, who seemed more concerned with holding on to the bag of supplies than the state of the storm, then couldn't stop herself from briefly admiring the play of muscles under David's shirt as he rowed as fast as he could towards shore.

They reached the beach, and Isabelle jumped out to help tug the boat in. She was wet enough already; what did a little more matter? She and David secured the boat, and then turned to help Katie out. She was a sorry sight; a last wave had drenched her from head to toe, and with her hair plastered to her head and her eyelashes in spiky points, she looked more like a little girl than a young woman. The wind was already whipping the trees near the beach, and a light drizzle had started. David hurried his companions into the trees, picking up the supplies and throwing them on his shoulder. There could be an abandoned shack or possibly a village close by; at the very least, they would be under more shelter than on the beach.

To his relief, just a little way past the beach they found an old shack. It was run-down and small, but it looked dry enough. Once inside, David pulled out a couple of pieces of cloth and tossed them to Isabelle and Katie.

"Come on now, dry off. If you two stay soaked any longer, you're going to get sick, in spite of the warm weather." Taking his own advice, he scrubbed at his face and arms until they were dry. There wasn't anything he could do about his wet pants, but he peeled off the wet shirt and spread it out on the floor. His pants would just have to dry on him. He turned to see that Katie had already taken off her shirt, spreading it out as he had, and had wrapped her blanket around her. Isabelle, with her longer hair, was still trying to dry it. He walked over and gently took the cloth from her and briskly rubbed her hair where it was awkward for her to reach it. She turned to thank him, and found herself facing David's strong, bare chest. She took in a quick breath and her eyes met his, noting how the damp hairs curled slightly at his temples. They stared at each other a long moment until Katie demurely cleared her throat and looked up at them, her blue eyes twinkling. They abruptly separated, Isabelle murmuring her thanks as she snatched back the cloth.

"David, could you please be a gentleman and turn your back while Isabelle gets out of her wet blouse? I'm sure you wouldn't mind…" David gritted his teeth at the laughter he could hear in Katie's voice as he obediently turned and faced the door. He had seen Isabelle in the camisole before, but now, with these new feelings starting to come forward…His mind teased him with tantalizing images of slender arms and delicate waist as he heard the soft rasp of the wet cloth sliding off Isabelle's skin and heard her sigh of relief as she wrapped herself in the blanket. 

"Everyone decent now?" he asked. 

"Of course, David. You can turn around now," Katie replied. He turned only to see the graceful bend of Isabelle's neck as she turned her head to finish drying her hair. He caught the tiny smirk on Katie's face as he tore his gaze away from Isabelle, and briefly wondered how she would respond to him placing her outside in the rain.

Katie leaned into Isabelle, plainly tired. It had been a long day, and she had helped out quite a bit working the sails. David settled himself behind them, gently rubbing their arms through the blankets. They couldn't build a fire inside, so they would have to rely on each other to keep warm. They quietly talked about what to do in the morning. Since they were there already, David proposed that they stay on the island and scout around a little. The women agreed, with Isabelle suggesting that they stay to the woods as much as possible. If there _were_ pirates here, it would be to no good to advertise their presence. Katie interrupted them with a yawn, and David suggested that they sleep.

They sat staring at each other for a minute, until Katie exclaimed, with a bit of irritation, "Oh, for the love of-OK, Isabelle, you lay down here, and I'll lay down next to you, and David, you lay down next to me." The two older adults meekly followed her directions, and the last thing David heard as Katie snuggled into her blanket was her muttering, "You'd think that two adults-but no, they have to act like children…"

He waited until Katie's even breaths settled into the pattern of sleep, and softly called out, "Isabelle?"

"Yes, David?"

"Thanks for helping out today, and…for listening." He wanted to say more, but didn't. After a moment, he could _feel_ her smiling as she said, "Don't mention it, David. Good night."

The morning sun warmed his face, and as David started to wake, he was aware of warmth at his side and soft hair pressing against his arm. Katie? No, he knew that fragrance, soft lavender and jasmine. Isabelle?! He cautiously opened his eyes and turned his head slightly to find a wealth of soft dark curls. Isabelle was curled up with her back against his side. He looked for Katie, and found that somehow (and he didn't think it was by accident) she had moved to their feet during the night. He watched her face for a minute. In sleep, all stress and worry were gone, leaving her face smooth and as young looking as David remembered from six years before. He sighed softly. He really did hope they would find those pirates, not just to keep the men on Katie's ships safe, but to ease at least one worry among the many that had to be on her mind in running her business.

He turned back to Isabelle, propping himself up slightly on his elbow as he looked down into her sleeping face. He distinctly remembered the last time he had woken up with her, the morning after he had been hurt and Isabelle had cared for him, bandaging his wound and keeping his warm with her body heat to make sure he lasted the night. He hadn't had the opportunity to simply look at her, as she had been awake before him. He smiled at the memory of how she had woken him up. His gaze lingered on her lips. She was a superb kisser, and he found himself wondering if she would still feel the same to him after everything that they had gone through since then. His eyes traveled over her features, over the arched eyebrows, the sculpted cheekbones and delicate nose, the thick brown curls drifting across her cheek, the firm chin and those soft pink lips. Oh, he knew she was beautiful, but awake, her words and attitude always seemed to distract one from really looking at her. He wondered if she was doing that on purpose. But now, asleep, he could see just how lovely she really was, the physical beauty only adding to the fascinating package that she made.

He carefully tugged her blanket a little higher, tucking it around her shoulders, and couldn't resist gently stroking her hair. A voice behind him almost made him jump.

"You really like her, don't you?" Katie asked. David turned to see that she was sitting up and blinking at him in the bright sunlight, and he could see that her sharp gaze hadn't missed anything. Her chestnut hair had curled slightly with the rain, and she had put her shirt back on sometime in the night. She raised one eyebrow at his silence. He sighed.

"Yes, I like her, OK? She's a good friend, and my partner. She watches my back and has stood by me in some rather difficult times." He laughed softly. "I know that a lot of people think she's only out for herself, and maybe she is, a lot, but she's helped out quite a lot as well. Even Lavinia has to agree that she's become a better person." He glanced again at the sleeping woman.

"Oh, David," Katie sighed. He was so absolutely clueless. She could see that it was much more than that. Michael used to look at her the way David was looking at Isabelle…She gulped hastily, surprised that, for the first time, a memory of Michael hadn't also brought some pain. David looked at her curiously.

"It's nothing, David, just thinking. But, David, I know you better. Isabelle's not just a friend to you. I can see it." She pushed ahead even as David started to protest. "David, what if I told you that Lavinia told me that she'd seen Isabelle talking at length with a good-looking man a few nights ago?"

"It was probably just a buyer for her horses," David protested immediately. He was startled to feel a rush of jealousy sweep through him, and his jaw clenched. Isabelle hadn't told _him_ about meeting anyone new! He was even more startled to hear Katie's quiet chuckle.

"David, Lavinia told me no such thing. I said, 'what if,' David. You seem to have a pretty strong reaction for someone who's only a 'friend.' Oh, well, it looks like Isabelle's waking up. We can talk later." Her impish smile irritated David, but she jumped up and walked out into the sunshine before he could say anything. He turned to see Isabelle stretch and yawn, then look at him in surprise.

"David?" She covered another yawn with her hand. "Wasn't Katie between us?" Her eyes, now a little more alert, darted around looking for the girl.

David smiled crookedly. "It seems that she woke up and moved. Did you get enough sleep?" The concern in his voice and the look in his eyes startled Isabelle. If she didn't know better, she would swear that David actually cared. She found herself not a little bit distracted by the fact that he was still not wearing a shirt, and she was inches away from him. She was also acutely aware that she was only wearing her camisole. She glanced up at the face above hers, and her tongue darted out to wet her suddenly dry lips. The day's worth of stubble only made him more attractive. _Snap out of it, woman! _she chided herself. 

"Yes, David, I got enough sleep. I feel fine, thanks."

David ignored the rush of heat at the sight of Isabelle wetting her lips. He didn't know if he wanted Katie to be right. He looked a moment longer into Isabelle's large eyes, before standing quickly and snatching up his shirt. He shrugged into it, and smiled down at Isabelle. 

"I'm going to go out and see if I can find that little imp, then we can have a quick bite and start looking around." He walked out and took a few deep breaths of the fresh morning air. Oh, he was going to kill Katie when he found her…

After he left, Isabelle slowly sat up and reached for her shirt, grimacing as she shook it out. It was dry, but cold and wrinkled. She put it on anyway, and stood up, carefully folding the blankets and taking out the food from the pack. She was puzzled by David's actions. She had been burying her feelings for the _Rattler_'s handsome captain for so long, not daring to let anyone know that she had been falling in love with him. She knew that David wouldn't return her feelings. He saw her as a partner, a friend, and sometimes a project in the making of an "honest woman." Besides, if he couldn't even make it with Lavinia, what hope was there for her? She was less inclined to have a traditionally happy life than Lavinia, and she knew that she and David were alike. What was that saying, "opposites attract?" Well, by those means, David would never be attracted that way to her. Oh, she knew he appreciated her looks, and enjoyed their early flirting, but these days that had become much rarer. 

But in the last couple of days…he'd been acting differently towards her. He had kissed her, a tender gentle kiss _not_ fueled by lust, had spent long moments staring at her, and this morning there had been concern in his voice for her. She didn't want to hope that his feeling were changing, but deep inside a little part of her dared to hope. She walked out with the food to find David splashing water on his face from a little stream, and Katie perched on a rock finger-combing her hair. They turned at her approach, and, with appetites sharpened by the previous day's efforts and the cool air, quickly finished their breakfast.

"Now," David began, when they had stowed away all their supplies, "we should start out making a round of the beaches. The pirates could have a base farther inland, but we're more likely to get a glimpse of them near the beach. And don't make much sound! We don't want _them _to surprise _us_." His two companions nodded, and they set off, David leading the way, with Isabelle keeping Katie between the two of them in case any trouble arose. The first two hours of exploring gained them nothing except for sore feet and a few glimpses of perfectly legitimate ships. Then, after a break, they approached Raiatea's north shore and Katie tugged on David's arm. 

"David, see that ship out there? That's one of mine! That would be the _Dawnfire_, if I have the schedule straight. They're a little early," Katie whispered. They watched as the graceful ship came towards the island, when suddenly a plain ship, larger than the _Dawnfire_, came from a hidden cove, bearing down swiftly on the smaller ship. Katie's eyes widened as the larger ship swung broadside of hers, and in a few minutes, people from it swarmed her ship. The two started to sail closer to the island. A small boat splashed down from the _Dawnfire_ and came in towards shore. The three people watching tried to be even smaller as the people came on shore.

David could see the difference in the crew of Katie's ship and the pirates. They were struggling, indignant, but also outfitted in neat, clean clothing. The pirates were more flamboyant, but their clothes had seen better days. He looked at Isabelle, and she silently shook her head. None of the pirates were familiar to her, either. David breathed a silent sigh of relief. At least it wasn't Pitcairn and Summers. Those two were vicious, and had their own score to settle with both he and Isabelle. He watched as one man came into view. He had been waiting near the trees, and David hadn't noticed him. He was more smartly dressed than the pirates were, but he headed towards them with nonchalance. He heard Katie's hiss of outrage next to him, and looked over just in time to pull her down as she began to rise.

"Katie, are you insane?" David hissed. "If you stand up, they'll see you, and they outnumber us!" 

Her face was a mask of anger, and her eyes were snapping blue fire. Obviously she knew the person in question. "David, I know him! That's Father's cousin, Mitchell Barnes! That lying, sneaking, snake!" she whispered furiously. "Father promised his aunt that Mitchell could have a position in the company. He was lazy, but bright, and Father never let him get away with anything. After Father's death Mitchell made some noise about me running the company, but I told him he could do without a job if he felt that way. He settled down, and I sent him as part of the contingent for the South Seas route. He was only supposed to handle the hiring of local hands! I never should have trusted him to anything! My God, it's been him that's been doing all this-"

David cut her off by placing his hand over her mouth. Her voice had been rising in anger, and the group on the beach had been getting closer. He waited until he saw that she had subsided, then removed his hand. She was still furious, but she held her tongue. Barnes spoke to the leader of the pirates, and they brought the little group closer to where David and the others were hiding.

Barnes then turned to address the _Dawnfire_'s crew. His voice was smooth but oily, and it made David's skin crawl. "I want to thank you, gentlemen, for handling the cargo so well. I do wish that you had done less damage to it when we approached-"

"Don't think that you can get away with this, Barnes!" one of the crew yelled. "Miss Leighton is going to have your hide when she hears about this!"

Barnes strolled over to the man. His eyes narrowed, and he quickly pulled out a gun and shot the man point-blank. The loud shot and the resulting babble of voices masked Katie's horrified gasp. David pulled her against him, no less aghast at Barnes' action. Barnes placed the gun back in its holster and said, "Well, looks like _you_ won't be telling Miss Leighton anything about this," before he turned to respond to the pirates. 

The leader of the pirates was clearly angry. "You didn't say nothing about killing any of them. I'm not about to get the authorities after me for murder!"

"Relax," Barnes said. "Not like anyone's going to find anything. You just get rid of the rest of them, take what you can off of that ship, then load the bodies on that ship and run it straight at the rocks. There's another storm headed this way in a day or two. By the time they find what's left of this ship, they'll think it hit a slow patch of water and then crashed here during the storm. Nothing's going to stop me from getting what should be mine. After all," and his eyes darkened and his face became petulant, "I should have gotten a piece of that company, not have all of it fall into the hands of a silly young woman. She had the nerve to threaten my job!" His face was remarkably ugly in its anger, and David suddenly realized how dangerous a spoiled man, used to getting what he wanted no matter what, could become. The pirates shrugged. Apparently Barnes was paying them enough not to protest overmuch. As they lined up the remaining crew and took out their revolvers, both David and Isabelle had to struggle to keep Katie still. Finally David gripped her shoulders and shook her.

"Katie, hush! There's no point in killing yourself as well! We have to stay safe to get the news back to the authorities."

There were tears in Katie's eyes, but her face was full of rage. "But those men, David! They have families, people who care about them! They shouldn't have to die just for trying to ship goods. Oh, Lord, look what I've done to them!"

"No, Katie," David admonished her, softly but firmly. "This is none of your doing. You are doing a good thing, opening up a new trade route. It's not your fault that that man is doing this. Did you ever suspect that he was capable of piracy, or even of killing?" She shook her head, and David continued. "There, then. There was nothing you could have done, and nothing that you did." The shots started then, and David held Katie as she buried her head in his chest, her whole body flinching to every shot, her hot tears making a damp patch on David's shirt. Isabelle gently rubbed her back and looked at David over her head. He mutely shook his head. The only thing they could do was comfort Katie, and head back to Matavai as fast as possible to report the pirates.

The shots ended, and David signaled to Isabelle that they should start moving. They saw that a couple of the pirates had started to move the bodies, and the remaining four, as well as Barnes, were watching them. Barnes turned his head slightly, and David never knew if it had been a flash of color or movement in the brush, but Barnes suddenly shouted, "There's someone here! You two, keep moving those bodies. The rest of you, follow me!" He started to run towards the jungle.

David knew that only their head start gave them an advantage. He abandoned all pretense of stealth and urged Isabelle and Katie to run. They did, leaping over the brush and trying to get to deeper jungle. Shots began to ring out near them. David ducked as one whizzed over his head. He ran faster. 

They reached an open stretch of ground. David didn't like it. There was no cover, but they had no choice. He pulled out the pistol he had kept at his side as they ran. The pirates, Barnes trailing, burst through the trees. David's first bullet found a mark squarely on the leader, and he dropped in his tracks. One down, four to go. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Barnes take aim. He looked forward. Katie was in Barnes' sight. "No!" David yelled. He shot again, hitting another pirate in the stomach, but it wasn't enough.

Barnes' shot rang out, and Katie stumbled and fell. A patch of red began to spread on her back. "No! Katie!" David cried. He ran forward and scooped up Katie, hardly pausing as he did. In front of him, Isabelle had turned and was firing with her own gun. They were lucky that they had decided to take them out of the pack when they went exploring. Isabelle managed to hit another of the pirates in the leg. Just as David reached the deeper jungle, he felt a searing fire in his right shoulder. He had been shot! He stumbled, but desperately held on to Katie and recovered. He and Isabelle disappeared into the jungle.

Behind them, Barnes cursed fluidly. If he had heard correctly, that was "Katie" the man had yelled, which meant it was Barnes' cousin, and that had to make the man David Grief. If Katie was hurt, or even dead, Barnes was glad, but he knew that David Grief would make him pay. He looked at the two remaining pirates. "Let's go," he snarled. "I'm not about to let that little witch ruin me now." He was forced to wait as the man's wound was bandaged, however, and he stood there seething with rage. When he caught up to those three, he was going to make sure that all were good and dead.

David and Isabelle stumbled through the jungle at breakneck speed, putting as much distance between the pirates and them as possible. After a while, they tried to go more carefully. Finally they reached a clearing, and none too soon. David was steadily losing blood, and Isabelle saw that his progress had become somewhat weaving over the last few minutes. 

"David, put her down. I need to tend to you both," Isabelle commanded. She was frightened. If she had to tend to two wounded people, then those pirates were sure to catch up very soon. David reluctantly put Katie down. 

"Is she…?" he breathed. Isabelle gently turned Katie on her stomach. She was breathing, which was a good sign, and as Isabelle got a good look at the wound, she breathed a sigh of relief. "David, it's just a flesh wound. It looks like Katie tripped just as Barnes shot, so she was only winged. She did bang her head when she fell, I can feel a knot here, but she should be just fine. Now let's look at you."

"No," David said. "Take care of her first, then me." Isabelle nodded helplessly, and proceeded to swiftly bandage Katie's wound. Just as she finished, Katie groaned and opened her eyes.

"Isabelle? What happened? Oh, my head," she complained, rubbing at the lump on her forehead. She looked up to see David smile tiredly at her, as Isabelle helped her sit up.

"Barnes shot at you, and winged you. You hit your head when you fell. You'll be just fine, though," Isabelle said. Katie's eyes, however, saw the blood on David's shirt. Raising her eyes to his face, she saw the truth.

"David, you're hurt!" she gasped. Ignoring the throb of her head, she quickly went over and peeled the shirt back from David's chest. "You were shot!" She glanced over at Isabelle, her eyes wide with fear. 

Isabelle tried to sooth her. "It's OK, Katie. You just help me bandage the wound, and David will be fine. The bullet looks as if it went clean through, and it doesn't appear to have hit anything vital." _Including you_, she added silently. She was well aware that if David hadn't shifted Katie when he'd picked her up, the bullet would have gone through Katie as well. "All right now, you clean the wound, and I'm going to get the bandage ready." They worked swiftly, quietly, and soon David's shoulder was sporting a neat bandage of pale blue, donated by the sleeves of Isabelle's blouse. By this time, David was fighting to keep his eyes open.

"David, rest, please," Isabelle told him. "Katie and I will keep watch." He nodded, his desire to protect them warring with his body's demand for rest. His body won, and he slid bonelessly into unconsciousness. Isabelle carefully laid his head in her lap, and handed her gun to Katie. The girl took it, somewhat stiffly. Her muscles were now making the discomfort of the day's trek and their panicked flight known.

They sat there watching as the daylight faded. David started to shiver, and Katie looked over in concern.

"Shock," Isabelle said, "and blood loss. We need to keep him warm. We can't build a fire, or those pirates would find us right away." Katie stood and picked up the one blanket they had taken with them in Isabelle's small knapsack. Isabelle gathered David to her, wrapping her arms around his chest and leaning his head on her shoulder. Katie wrapped the blanket around the two of them and sat again to keep watch. Isabelle closed her eyes briefly, taking in David's musky scent and feeling her fear start to rise. _Oh, please, dear God, keep him well_, she pleaded silently. She rested her head against David's, feeling comfort in his warm breath against her neck. The silence stretched on, Katie's head snapping around at every sound. The sun began to set.

Suddenly, the bushes to Katie's left began to rattle. She and Isabelle shared one terrified glance. There was no time to drag David into hiding, and they only had a few bullets left in the gun. Katie raised the gun and took aim at the shaking shrubbery. It finally parted, and a man with his own gun stepped through. Katie and Isabelle looked up at him, and they gasped.

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Hee hee, aren't I evil to end it here? Who is this man? What will happen to David? Will they be able to reach the authorities in time? Just a couple more chapters, and it'll all be resolved! Now, if I get about ten more reviews, I'll be more motivated to get the next chapter out quickly…


	4. Part IV

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Part IV

The man quickly took in the scene before him, of the one young woman aiming a gun at him, at the other woman carefully cradling an obviously hurt man, and shook his head. Wherever David and Isabelle went, trouble was sure to follow. He wondered if that was not what made them so compatible in the first place.

Katie quickly set down the gun. "Mauriri!" she exclaimed, her breath leaving her in a rush of relief. She jumped up and hugged him, then hissed as her back reminded her in no uncertain terms that it wasn't ready for hugs yet. She had been so afraid that it was one of the pirates, so afraid that she would have to shoot someone. She tugged Mauriri down with her as she sat, and then cocked her head to one side to regard him.

"Not that I'm not thrilled to see you, Mauriri, but what the hell are you doing here?" She glanced back briefly at Isabelle, noting the look of relief that she was sure her own face mirrored.

Mauriri smiled. "When you told me where you were going yesterday, I had a bad feeling about it. After I arrived home, the feeling was still there. I couldn't ignore it, so I set off after you three. I borrowed one of the smaller ships. I saw the _Rattler_, but no sign of you, so I came on land and tried to pick up your trail. What happened to you?" His question addressed all of them, but Isabelle couldn't help but notice that his eyes strayed towards David as he spoke. She hoped that it meant a beginning in their reconciliation; she would have had to be blind not to see how much David missed Mauriri, both as a sailing partner and as a friend.

"We did find the pirates," Katie replied. "We came on them just as they ambushed one of my ships. It was my own cousin behind the attacks. His people, they…they killed my crew." Her jaw was clenched, and now Mauriri understood the hollowness in her eyes. "We were trying to get away, and they shot at us. I was hit, but it's very minor. David was hurt worse." Her eyes strayed over to Isabelle, who was still holding David tightly.

Mauriri got up and crouched next to Isabelle. "Were you hurt at all?" he asked. She shook her head. "What about David?" He could see that something bad had happened; David didn't usually spend time unconscious. Isabelle pulled the blanket away, showing Mauriri the bandaged shoulder. He gently checked the bandage. "Well, it looks like the bleeding's stopped. That was good work, Isabelle." She smiled briefly at his praise.

Katie joined them, but she still held the gun. At Mauriri's raised eyebrows, she said, "I'm not about to let them finish what they started." She then explained to him everything that had happened, from finding out about Jenny to waiting out the storm, finally ending with taking care of David, managing to keep her voice steady even as she told him about the men being shot. He nodded. So now they knew for certain about Jenny. That was good. Her actions were hanging over them already; knowing she was really dead lifted some of the tension.

"Mauriri," Isabelle said, "what do you think we should do? We certainly can't stay here for much longer, and I don't know how wise it is to move David yet. Besides, if we _did _try to move him, we wouldn't be moving very fast."

"I know, Isabelle. I have an idea. We can move you and David a little deeper into the jungle, and I can take Katie with me back to the ship. I have Jack and Tah-mey waiting; they can even up the odds when we come back for you." At Katie's protest, he turned to her. "Katie, it'll be easier to hide two people than three. And Isabelle is used to treating David." He ignored Isabelle as she rolled her eyes, and he continued. "I also thought to bring one of Morlais' men with me. You're a witness; you can identify these men, and it was your ship. He needs to take your statement. You can tell him while we get the weapons and get ready, and then you can come back," he conceded, seeing that if he tried to keep her from coming back to David, she'd come anyway. He gripped her shoulder and looked into her eyes. "Besides, David would kill me if something happened to you." He waited until she reluctantly nodded, then got up. 

Carefully, with Isabelle helping him and Katie keeping watch, Mauriri pulled David into the jungle. He waited until Isabelle was sitting again, and rested David against her, tucking the blanket around them as Katie had done earlier. He handed her the pistol Katie had been holding, and Isabelle placed it within arm's reach.

He emerged, making sure that he erased as much evidence of the three as he could. With one last glance back, he set off with Katie in tow. As they rushed off into the jungle, he silently prayed that they would get to help and back in time. Seeing David like that made him realize that he didn't want to lose his friend. As angry as David had made him, as betrayed as he had felt about his actions, he saw that he wasn't ready to have him out of his life. David had taken a bullet trying to help his friend today; it was that same loyalty, only distorted by Jenny's manipulations, that had caused him to put his faith in her. Mauriri wondered, for the first time, if he'd been in David's position and had been trying to see the best in the woman he loved, if he wouldn't have gone nearly as far as David had. He was determined that those pirates wouldn't keep him from finding out if he and David could salvage their friendship. He missed David, and missed the open sea he had sailed aboard the _Rattler_, more than he had realized. He took Katie's hand to help her as he increased his pace.

The only sounds they heard were the harsh rasps of their breathing. Finally Mauriri broke through the jungle and headed up the beach towards a small knot of men. They looked up in surprise at the figures rushing towards them, and both Katie and Mauriri had to lean over, hands on knees, to catch their breath when they reached the men. When Mauriri's breathing had returned to normal, he straightened.

"Katie, this is Tah-mey, he helps crew the _Rattler _occasionally, and this is Cannibal Jack. Where's Morlais' man?" he asked Jack. The sailor, deadly sober, pointed the man a little way up the beach. Mauriri hurried off after him. Katie was left staring at the two men in front of her. She regarded Jack curiously.

"Interesting nickname," she said. "Be sure to tell me about it later. I think David mentioned you once; well, past is past, I say. Katie Leighton, pleased to meet you. If Mauriri trusted you enough to have you here, that's good for me." She stuck out her hand. Jack, bemused, took it. 

"Jack McGonnigal, at your service. Where are David and Isabelle? Mauriri said they were with you."

Katie's eyes were worried. "David was hurt. Isabelle's with him. We did find those pirates who were raiding my ships." She gave a bitter little laugh. "It seems you can't even trust family these days." She left Jack to puzzle out her remark and ran over to meet Mauriri. She immediately began talking to the soldier with him, while Mauriri left to explain the situation tersely to the others. They got their weapons ready to go very quickly. Katie joined them after a few minutes, her face set and determined. She had managed to relieve the soldier of one of his pistols. She nodded briefly to Mauriri, and the small group set off back to David and Isabelle.

__

Please, dear God, please don't let anything happen to David, or Isabelle, Katie silently pleaded. Her heart was pounding frantically, but she grimly kept pace with the men. Barnes was going to pay for what he had done, and if he tried to hurt her friends even more, then heaven help him, because there would be nothing on earth that Katie would let get in her way. The four of them plunged into the darkened jungle, leaving Morlais' man nervously waiting by the longboat.

* * * * * * *

As soon as Mauriri and Katie had disappeared from view, Isabelle turned her head to scan the jungle around them. She heard nothing but the sounds of the creatures moving around, and the rustling of the leaves as the wind stirred them. They should have plenty of warning if the pirates approached them. She was brought back abruptly when she heard David groan.

"Isabelle?" she heard him call. She turned her head, her features lighting up at the fact that David was looking back at her, albeit a little fuzzily. She cupped his cheek in one hand.

"David, thank God, I was so worried about you! How are you feeling?" The relief in her voice was evident to David, and he couldn't miss the suspicious brightness in her eyes. Isabelle, shedding tears over him? Would wonders never cease! Yet he felt a flush of warmth at her concern.

"Like I've been shot," he groused, moving his shoulder experimentally. Damn, that hurt! He heard Isabelle's brief throb of laughter, before she laid a gentle hand on his arm to still his movements. "I'm all right, Isabelle."

"Maybe now, David, but you were in shock. You lost blood, you passed out. You scared me," she whispered, her voice dropping as emotion thickened the sound. David looked at her in astonishment, and reached out with his good arm to gently cup her chin and raise her eyes to meet his own. Hazel green met silvery green, and David waited until he saw some of the fear leave Isabelle's eyes. He smiled at her, and she was able to give him a tremulous smile back.

"Thank you for taking care of me," he said huskily. He took her hand in his and squeezed softly, and she returned the squeeze with one of her own.

"You're entirely welcome, David. I'm just glad that Katie was able to help out with that. You're not exactly a lightweight, you know." He threw her a look at the gently teasing words, and then looked around him with a sharper gaze.

"Speaking of," he said, focusing back on Isabelle, "where is Katie, by the way? Still keeping watch?"

Isabelle hesitated briefly, just long enough to worry David. "She's not here, David." Holding up a hand to stop his outburst, she continued. "She went to get help, with Mauriri."

David's jaw dropped. "Mauriri? He's here? How-when did-why-he's _here_?"

Isabelle couldn't help the tiny grin that quirked her lips at David's tone. So shocked, and yet, underneath it, that tiny thread of hope. She knew that Mauriri's appearance would make David wonder if the tall Polynesian was ready to try to mend their friendship. From what she had seen of Mauriri's own reaction, she was reasonably sure that the ice between the two had finally broken.

"Mauriri said that he'd had a bad feeling after talking to Katie about where we were going. Yes, she talked to him," Isabelle said, as David raised his eyebrows. "It seems that our Miss Leighton is quite willing to share her opinions with whomever she wants. At any rate, Mauriri sailed out here with Tah-mey and Jack, as well as one of Morlais' men. He tracked us here, and since it is easier to hide two people than one, and Katie did need to talk to Morlais' man, he took her with him to get reinforcements. She'll be perfectly fine, David. Now, let me look at your shoulder."

She carefully bent to her task, leaving David to mull over her words. So, Mauriri had come after them! David couldn't help the warm rush of feelings at the thought that his best friend still cared. He knew that Mauriri wouldn't have risked sailing out with an impending storm if he still regarded David as nothing worth saving. Perhaps when Mo got back, they could try to talk, at least a little. He hissed as Isabelle pressed gently on the wound.

"I'm sorry, David, I didn't mean to hurt you," she said, her eyes full of contrition. "I just needed to make sure that the bleeding had stopped." She swiftly finished re-wrapping David's shoulder. This time a wide strip from the bottom of her shirt had been sacrificed to make the bandage. "Now don't try and move it too much, and it'll be fine."

She gently pulled David against her again, and he rested his head against her shoulder and closed his eyes. He wanted to stay awake, but he knew that he still needed to rest. Besides, he trusted Isabelle to keep a lookout. He laughed silently to himself. When he first met Isabelle, he never imagined that one day he would be saying _that_ about her.

When he opened his eyes again, the sun had set and he was surrounded by darkness. He was warm, and his cheek was resting against Isabelle's thick curls.

"You smell good," he whispered sleepily, turning his head to press it further into Isabelle's soft hair. He didn't register his words until a few moments later, as Isabelle stiffened slightly. 

"Honestly, David, I look a fright, and I know I smell like sweat and the jungle. Teasing is not necessary," she said, a forced laugh not enough to hide the hurt in her words. Waking up more fully, David sat up and turned his head to look at her. The moonlight brought out the delicate planes of her face, and made her large eyes luminous. She gazed back at him, and he tried to figure out the expression on her face. It was guarded, wary, but he immediately saw the hurt there. He had no idea his words meant that much to her.

"I wasn't teasing," he said softly. He reached out and gently rubbed a curl between his fingers. "You always smell like lavender and jasmine. I like it." He dropped her hair and saw that her wide eyes were fixed on him.

"I-it's a wash," she stammered, her heart suddenly thumping at his intense gaze. "Clare got some for me once." 

David said nothing, just watched her, and she felt a blush rising to cover her cheeks. However, she couldn't look away from him, and they stared at each other until the call of a bird made them jump. Isabelle gulped and took a deep breath, aware that David was doing the same. He then cocked his head slightly and said, "Isabelle, do you remember, back on the _Rattler_, you said storms did bad things? Would you tell me what you meant? It'll pass the time."

She looked at him and bit her lip. That memory…it still made her shudder. She had never told anyone, not even William. David's encouraging expression decided her. She took another deep breath and began. 

"I was quite small at the time, because my parents were still alive and William was still home. We were living near the coast then, and one night there was a terrible storm. My mother knew how inquisitive I was, so she absolutely forbade me from even going out the door to watch the storm. But I so wanted to see it, so around 2 in the morning I went outside.

"I remember very clearly the way the wind screamed around the rocks near the beach, and how stinging the rain was against my skin as I crept out of the house. The sky was so black and stormy, with no moonlight at all. At first the wildness delighted me, then it began to frighten me a little. Even so, I ventured out a little further. That's when I saw him. A man was lying on the beach, nearly at the slope dividing beach from grass. God, David, he was a mess. He was soaked, bruised, and battered, and even the rain wasn't enough to wash off all the blood on his face. His eyes, David, his eyes were the worst. They were wide-open and staring, the rain filling them. It felt like he was staring straight at me."

Her eyes were very far away, and her hands were clasped so tightly together that her knuckles stood out sharply against her skin. David watched the play of emotions on her face, careful not to touch her and disturb her reverie. He could see that she really did need to tell him all of this.

"I think I screamed then, a little pitiful sound against the wind, and stumbled back towards the house. I could see his eyes, like they were following me, and they seemed almost accusatory, as though I should have done something. When I reached the house, I sat for a long time huddled against the wall, not caring about the wind or rain, just sitting and shaking. After a time I was able to go back inside and get back to my room and dry off. I learned later that men from a ship had been trying to get back to shore, and the storm caught their boat and dashed it against the rocks. This man had managed to crawl up to the beach only to die there."

David took her hand then. It was icy cold, and he engulfed it in his large one, trying to warm it up. She still didn't look at him, but he could feel the shudders. He continued rubbing her hand as she spoke.

"I know, rationally, that there was nothing that I could have done, David. He was dead before I saw him. And I also know that part of the guilt is that I disobeyed my parents. But still, David, sometimes at night I can still see those eyes staring at me, especially during a storm. Sometimes I think maybe that's the way I'll end up too, that a storm will come and get me-"

Her voice had been rising, the distressed look even more present, so David reached out and grabbed her shoulders, ignoring the twinge from his own, and lightly shook her.

"Isabelle! Listen to me! You're safe right now, and you had nothing to do with that man's death. And I promise you; you will never be hurt by a storm. I won't let anything happen to you, I promise! Isabelle, do you understand me?" He stared at her, willing her to believe him, and her wide frightened eyes gazed back at him until she shuddered and curled against him, her shoulders shaking. He held her, his hands rubbing her back and making soothing noises. He sat that way until her shudders tapered off. He drew her back and looked into her lovely face.

Though she had been shaking, David could see no tear tracks on her cheeks. He smoothed back her tumbled hair and then cupped her face in his hands.

"No tears, Isabelle?"

She shook her head with a tremulous smile. "I never cry, remember, David?"

He leaned over and whispered in her ear, "It's not shameful to cry sometimes, Isabelle. It just means you're human." He sat up and looked at her. His eyes locked on hers, and something stirred in his heart. Still holding her face in his hands, he touched his forehead to hers, his mouth scant inches from hers. "And I like that you're human," he murmured.

Isabelle could barely breath. The tale was one of her worst memories, and David had just listened, exactly what she had needed. He had comforted her, and she was grateful. Now, however, feeling the heat off his body and his breath stirring the air next to her skin, she was feeling something other than grateful. She had wanted him so long, had loved him so very long…

She made a low noise in her throat, almost unaware. With that, David closed the distance between them and covered her lips with his own. 

His touch was tentative, at first, until Isabelle's fingers delved into his hair; then he deepened the kiss. Her lips were so soft and yielding, the skin under his palms smooth as silk. The heady scent of her hair surrounded him, and when she opened her mouth to his questing tongue, David growled in the back of his throat and began to kiss her more hungrily than before.

Isabelle was in a heaven and hell of her own making. On the one hand, her arms wrapped around David's neck, her body pressed to him, she was lost in the sensations he was bringing to her. She could feel his soft lips as they moved over hers, taste the rich dark flavor that was David, shudder at the heat from his hands as one moved to her back and one threaded itself into her long hair. On the other hand, there was a voice at the back of her mind telling her that it wasn't real, that they were in a very unusual situation and that since they were now truly friends, she didn't want to do something they might regret in the morning. She needed him too much to risk losing him this way. 

Still, it was several moments before she could bring herself to pull away from him. Finally, when the need for oxygen was burning at her brain, she drew away and sat staring at David. They sat in silence for several minutes, breathing harshly as they struggled to get needed air. David thought that she had never looked more beautiful, her face flushed and her hair tangled from his fingers. And she had never looked more desirable, even that morning when she had been lying naked next to him. He marveled very briefly in the abrupt shift in his feelings toward her since then. 

He was quickly brought out of his musings as Isabelle got up and started to pace in tight circles in front of him. He could see that she was disturbed, and he frowned slightly. Apparently, the kiss had not been as pleasant for her as it was for him. He watched her gather her thoughts together before she paused in front of him and spoke.

"David, what just happened…it was…well, I understand that we were both emotional right then, and you just wanted to make me feel better. I know that it didn't mean that much to you, and I am grateful that you were here to listen to me, but I don't want you to think I want anything from you because we kissed-"

She was quickly silenced as David grabbed her hand with his good arm and pulled her down next to him again. As she tried to keep speaking, David laid his hand over her mouth.

"Isabelle, please, shut that pretty mouth of yours and listen to me!" 

She was startled enough to close her mouth, and sat mutely, looking askance at him. He drew in a deep breath.

"Isabelle, I didn't kiss you because we were emotional-OK, not just because. And not to make you feel better, and it didn't mean so little to me. I kissed you because I wanted to. And it was damned good." He saw her flush at his words, but pressed on. "I kissed you because I care, Isabelle. I care about you. Don't you know that by now?" He cupped her chin and made her look at him.

Isabelle could hardly believe her ears, but David's tone was so sincere, as was the look in his eyes. She gazed at him for several long moments before slowly, shyly, nodding. David cared! Her heart was beating wildly.

David turned slightly and gripped her shoulders. "How about you, Isabelle? Did you kiss me just because we were emotional? Did it mean so little to you?" His eyes were fierce as they searched hers.

She opened her mouth to speak, and the rustling of the bushes gave them only scant warning before a sneering voice floated down.

"Well, if this isn't a touching scene. The only thing to make it better would be to add a certain sweet young heiress. Pray tell, where would my darling cousin be?"

Isabelle and David looked over, eyes widening in horror, at the long barrel of the gun that was pointed at them, then up to the snarling face of Mitchell Barnes.


	5. Part V

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Author's Notes: Due to the small amount of violence in this chapter, I have decided to have it be PG-13. Enjoy, and please read and review! 

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Part V

David quickly lunged to his feet, as Isabelle reached behind her for the gun that had been left with them. Before Isabelle could pick up the gun, another pirate stepped out of the bushes and kicked it away from her. Isabelle could see the bandage on his leg, and realized that, unfortunately for her, that this was the pirate she had shot. She gulped. David's advance towards Barnes was halted as three more pirates stepped out behind Barnes. He paused in mid-step and then moved to block Isabelle with his body. She cautiously stood up behind David, casting a wary glance at the leering pirate near her.

David took in the situation with no small amount of trepidation. They had no weapons, he was wounded, and they were surrounded by four armed pirates and a man with a score to settle. He wondered how far away Mauriri and Katie were. The pirates prodded them forward until they all reached the clearing, and Barnes turned back towards David.

"I'll repeat the question again, Grief, just in case you weren't listening the first time," Barnes said, his eyes as cold as ice. The haughtiness in his voice had been replaced by barely suppressed fury. "Where is Katie? I know she was with you. _Where is she_?" 

David met Barnes' snarl with a glare of his own. "Do you think I'd let you get anywhere near her, Barnes? She's not here, and I'm going to make sure you never find her, you bastard." Behind him, David felt Isabelle latch on to his arm. He could feel her trembling.

Barnes' face darkened at David's words, and he started to move towards David. He stopped himself as he took in Isabelle holding on to David. His eyes narrowed in cold calculation and his lips twisted into a sneer. He gestured towards the pirate standing near Isabelle.

"Bring her here," he commanded. The man nodded and grabbed Isabelle's arm, pulling her roughly away from David. His grip on her arm was fierce, and Isabelle knew that it would leave a bruise, if they survived this, that is. He dragged her over to Barnes, and roughly shoved her to him. Isabelle stumbled into Barnes, and he grabbed her other arm, pulling it behind her and turning her so that she faced David. He twisted her arm up until she winced, and then he placed his gun to her head.

David, who had moved forward in protest, stopped abruptly. He could see the fear in her wide eyes, and he felt a shaft of fear stab him in his gut. He instinctively reached out to her, taking another step forward. Barnes reacted by taking a step back, pulling Isabelle with him, and glared at David.

"I know you don't want anything to happen to this lovely lady, Grief, so I suggest that you not try anything." Barnes pushed the gun even more tightly against Isabelle's temple, and her eyes widened more, staring pleadingly at David. He forced himself to back up, but every muscle in his body was tense.

Barnes laughed, an ugly sound that made David's skin crawl. He lowered the gun and pulled Isabelle closer to him, running the gun along her jaw. "Good for you, Grief. Wouldn't want to have to do anything to…Miss Reed, I'm told… before my men have a chance to enjoy her…_gifts_." He then ran the gun along the strip of stomach that Isabelle's torn blouse displayed, and she flinched. 

"You lay one finger on her, Barnes, and you'll _wish_ you were in hell," David growled, his jaw clenched tightly, absolute fury in his eyes. How dare this bastard touch Isabelle, threaten her! It took all his strength not to leap at Barnes and throttle him. Only the knowledge that them killing him would leave Isabelle alone to their mercies kept him restrained.

Barnes was amused. "That amounts to what we call an 'empty threat,' Grief. You have no weapons. I can see the bandage on your shoulder. And should you attempt to get away, I'll just shoot her," he said, placing the gun against Isabelle's head again. She tried to jerk away from him, and he merely twisted her arm higher until she cried out.

"Stop it!" David yelled, remembering just in time not to lunge forward. Isabelle looked at him, tears of pain standing in her eyes, but David could also see the anger collecting there. _Isabelle, don't move, he'll kill you_, he silently pleaded. He knew that an angry Isabelle just might do something rash enough to get herself killed. 

Barnes, smirking at David, placed the gun in the hollow of Isabelle's throat and started to trace it down her chest. "Where is Katie?" he drawled softly, the gun reaching the open edge of Isabelle's shirt. She suddenly moved, her foot kicking behind her to solidly connect with Barnes' shin, her free hand landing a blow on Barnes' ribs.

"Damnit!" Barnes swore, his grip on Isabelle's arm loosening. She reached around and scratched her nails across his cheek, leaving red welts in their wake. However, Barnes quickly shifted his hand to grab her upper arm and swing her around to face him. "You bitch!" he yelled, then released her arm to deliver a backhanded blow to her jaw that knocked her heavily to the ground. He reached down, cursing, and pulled her to her feet. 

"Don't you ever try that again!" he hissed into Isabelle's face, then shoved her at the pirate that had taken her from David. Barnes gingerly touched the scratches on his face, scowling as he looked back at David. 

"Let's try this again, Grief. You tell me where Katie is, and I don't let that man with Miss Reed take out his bullet wound on her hide. You don't tell me where she is, and you get to watch Miss Reed die slowly, knowing you could have stopped it, just before I kill you."

David glanced at Isabelle. The pirate held both her hands behind her, and he could see the bruise already starting on her delicate jaw. Tears of pain made tracks freely down her cheeks, but she was resolutely silent. He stared into her eyes a moment, willing her to stay strong. She gave him a tiny nod, and he turned back to Barnes. 

"All right, Barnes. You want me to tell you something? Well, here it is." He inclined his head slightly, and Barnes followed his example. David waited a moment, and then said in a low, clear, icy voice, "Go to hell!"

Barnes jerked his head back, rage distorting his features again. He took another step towards David, and without warning, punched him in his wounded shoulder. David yelled in shock and stumbled back as fingers of pain clawed through his body. Barnes stepped back.

"I gave you a choice, Grief. Too bad you didn't take it." He turned towards the pirate holding Isabelle, and said, "Be creative. We'll watch." 

Behind him, the three remaining pirates held David back even as he struggled to reach Isabelle, and the first pirate grinned. The sound of flesh striking flesh echoed across the clearing.

* * * * * * *

Katie followed Mauriri as he set a breakneck pace across the dark jungle. She wondered how he could find his way so well in the darkness. She continued along behind him, aware of Jack behind her and Tah-mey bringing up the rear. All she could hear was the rustle of bushes as they passed, and the harsh rasps of their breathing. The silence allowed her to imagine all sorts of horrible things. She saw David slipping further into unconsciousness, and imagined his wound becoming severely infected. She thought of what would happen if any animals found them. But worst of all, she imagined that Barnes had found them. She knew her cousin's temper; it wouldn't be well for David and Isabelle if he found them. She kept up a silent running plea in her head, asking God to keep the two of them safe until her group could get there. 

Suddenly, ahead of her, Mauriri slowed down. He held up a hand, and Katie immediately stopped. So did Jack and Tah-mey. Katie bent over her knees, trying to get her breath back. She looked up at Mauriri.

"What is it?" she asked softly. Behind her, she could hear Jack checking his gun, and Tah-mey sliding his knife out of its sheath to check it. 

Mauriri looked around the jungle. "We're close," he said. "We need to go a little slower and more quietly now, just in case David and Isabelle aren't the only ones there." His words caused the fear in Katie to inch even higher, but she gamely swallowed and nodded. They continued along a little slower than before, but now they were very careful about the sounds they were making.

Without warning, Mauriri froze. Katie just missed slamming into his back. He looked back at her, his finger at his lips. Even in the darkness, Katie could see the wariness in his eyes. He motioned for them to move forward. They crept ahead, and not a sound escaped them. Katie saw a tree that they had passed on their way to the boat. She had remembered the unusual shape of the twisted trunk, and realized that they were very near the clearing where they had left David and Isabelle.

She heard a noise ahead of them, and understood why Mauriri had stopped. There were voices coming from the clearing. She heard garbled talking, and then heard David clearly. He was yelling at someone to stop. Her blood ran cold as she recognized Barnes' voice. She gasped when she heard the sound of someone being hit.

Mauriri led the way to the outside of the clearing, and they all paused to have a look. Katie could see immediately that their early caution had not been necessary. The group in the clearing was too involved in what they were doing to have paid any attention to noises coming from the jungle.

In the clearing, Isabelle was being held upright by a surly-looking pirate while Barnes yelled at David. Katie could see a bruise on Isabelle's jaw, and blood was trickling down from a gash along her cheekbone. There was also blood coming from her split lip, and the meaty fist of the pirate holding her was smeared with that blood. As she watched, David cursed at Barnes and then spit on him. Barnes slammed his fist into David's stomach, and David doubled up, coughing. Katie also saw fresh blood dotting the bandage around David's injury. She guessed that her wretched cousin had probably hit David in the shoulder, or had one of the men around him do it.

Unlike her earlier reaction to watching one of her ship crews get shot, she didn't feel anguish, but instead she felt a tingling rush of fury in the pit of her stomach. She clenched her fists as a hot wave of adrenaline swept through her. She wanted nothing more than to go out there and rip her cousin's head off of his body. She turned towards Mauriri, her eyes blazing with a cold blue fire.

"What are we going to do?" she demanded in a harsh whisper. She gritted her teeth as she heard Isabelle cry out in pain.

Mauriri, with one last glance at the clearing, drew them back a little ways. He waited until they had all gathered around him, and then began.

"There's five of them, and four of us. I don't think we can count too much on David or Isabelle. I saw that all but the one holding Isabelle had guns, so that leaves us with three guns and a knife to their four guns. The best way would be for the four of us to circle around and get behind the nearest pirate. It doesn't look like they know that we're here at all, or Barnes would probably have his men in the jungle looking for us. OK, this is how we'll do it…"

As Mauriri outlined his plan, Katie listened intently, but a part of her was keeping itself trained on the noises coming from the clearing. They only served to fuel her anger. _You are a dead man, Mitchell; you just don't know it yet_, she thought, as another cry drifted back to her. 

As soon as he was sure that everyone knew what he or she was going to do, Mauriri rose and silently got into position. He waited until the others were ready, and then looked at each in turn. They nodded, and he faced the clearing again. He raised his arm, and all eyes turned to him. He dropped his arm, and the four of them burst into the clearing. 

David's throat was starting to get hoarse from yelling. His heart bled as the pirate holding Isabelle delivered a series of painful blows to her face, cutting her cheek and mouth. He couldn't stand the cries that were coming from her. He struggled madly against the men holding him, and even with the three of them, they were hard pressed to keep the enraged man from breaking free and going after the pirate hurting Isabelle. He struggled even as his shoulder screamed in agony and his stomach roiled with the effects of the blow Barnes had dealt him.

Suddenly, to his astonishment, four figures leapt from the bushes surrounding the clearing. The three pirates holding him grunted as three bodies tackled them, and they fell to the ground in a writhing mass of punches and kicks. David felt a small hand grip his arm and help him to his feet. He found himself facing a pair of concerned blue eyes.

"Katie?!" 

She smiled slightly. "David." Her eyes ran over his bleeding shoulder. "Are you all right?"

He nodded, hardly believing that she was there. His head snapped around suddenly and locked on the man holding Isabelle. The pirate was staring around him in shock, his mouth hanging open. David looked back at Katie, and wordlessly she nodded. He needed to get to Isabelle. He briefly touched Katie's cheek, and took off. 

The pirate saw him coming only seconds before he got there, and David hit him with a satisfying _thud_. The man went flying. Isabelle fell on her knees as he abruptly released her. David dropped down beside her.

"Are you OK?" they said at the same time. David gave a little bark of laughter and let his eyes roam over her bloodied face. 

"I'm so sorry, Isabelle," he murmured. She gently shook her head.

"It wasn't your fault, David. Now go get that bastard."

David turned to see the stunned pirate shaking his head and slowly getting to his feet. With a yell David leaped at him. All the fury he had felt as he'd been forced to watch the man beat Isabelle came to the forefront. Ignoring his shoulder, David hit the man with a flurry of blows. Two right hooks followed a series of gut punches, then a kick to the knee stopped him in his tracks, all capped off with a spectacular left uppercut that knocked the man out cold. He fell to the ground, measuring out his length on the jungle floor. 

David panted in satisfaction, before Isabelle cried out and grabbed at his hand. He fell to the ground just as a bullet whistled by his ear. He looked around. Barnes lowered the gun he had just shot, his eyes wide and crazed in anger. David scrambled up, but to Barnes' bewilderment, David ignored him to pull Isabelle to the edge of the clearing. With a yell Barnes charged after David. David turned just in time, and the two began swinging. 

Isabelle picked up a length of wood that lay on the ground, determined to keep anyone else away from David. Just then one of the pirates charged at her, and she swung her makeshift club hard, catching him a painful blow across the chest. He gasped for air, darting her a hateful glance before running back towards the others.

A little distance away from Isabelle, a melee was going on. Mauriri, Jack and Tah-mey were trading blows with the pirates. Tah-mey's knife scored a neat hit on one of the pirates as Isabelle watched, and the man grabbed his cut arm, howling. Jack and one of the other pirates were locked together, shuffling in a ragged circle as they continued to pummel one another. Mauriri, who had lost his gun somewhere, hit his opponent with a vicious blow to the gut, but the man managed to kick out with his feet, and the two fell apart. Unfortunately, the pirate fell close to his own weapon, and drew it as he and Mauriri sat up to face each other. 

Just as his finger tightened on the trigger, Katie appeared behind him and smashed her gun down on the base of his skull. His eyes rolled up in his head, and with a groan he slid bonelessly to the ground. Mauriri nodded his thanks to Katie, and the two of them headed off to help Jack and Tah-mey.

Meanwhile, David and Barnes continued to fight. David managed to get Barnes around the throat, but the man struggled like mad and brought his head back to connect sharply with David's jaw. David released him, but then swept his leg out and knocked Barnes off of his feet. He fell heavily on his back, and David was on him. He landed a blow to Barnes' mouth, and red blood spilled freely down the man's chin. Barnes let out a strangled scream and levered himself off the ground, catching David around the middle, and they tumbled into a heap again.

Tah-mey's knife scored another blow, this time drawing blood from the pirate's chest. The man squealed in fright and turned to run, only to find himself staring down the barrel of Katie's gun. She smiled coldly.

"I wouldn't if I were you," she said, gesturing for him to move. Defeated, he slumped and walked to the edge of the clearing. He knew that he was a dead man. The law in the South Seas looked with very little favor on pirates, and even less on murdering pirates.

Jack's opponent froze as Mauriri, who had recovered his gun, pressed it into his ribs. The man scowled and released Jack, but not before punching Jack in the eye. Jack cursed and hit him back. The man dropped to his knees as Mauriri clicked the hammer of his gun. Tah-mey moved to relieve Katie from watching the pirate she had caught, and Jack dragged the unconscious one she had hit over to join his companions. Katie turned to see David and Barnes still fighting. 

David and Barnes rolled around on the ground, each trying to get the upper hand. Isabelle couldn't get a hit in; she was worried that she might accidentally hit David, with the rate that the two were changing position. Finally, David got free of Barnes with one last kick, and stood away from him. Barnes rose slowly to his feet, one hand hanging limply at his side. David was facing Katie, and Barnes had his back slightly to the cousin he didn't know was there. 

David looked around him. The fight was just about over. Mauriri, Jack, Tah-mey and Katie had managed to take care of Barnes' pirates, and Isabelle had done a fine job protecting him. His eyes turned back to Barnes.

The man was breathing heavily, his face a mask of rage. He was staring the end of his way of life, and he knew it. He turned hate-filled eyes on David, standing just a few feet away.

"Give it up, Barnes," David called. "There's nothing you can do now." He gestured at the subdued pirates. Barnes just stared at David, and an odd expression came into his eyes. David didn't like that look. He liked it even less when Barnes slowly smiled, a twisted little grin that raised the hair on David's neck.

"That's not necessarily true, Captain Grief," he said slowly. "You've caused me a great deal of trouble. Without you, Katie would never have been able to find me. That little twit could have gone on believing that unstoppable pirates were raiding her ships, and it would've all been fine." 

David shook his head at Barnes' reasoning. He couldn't believe how much Barnes was deluding himself. Katie had already figured out that it had to be one of her people. She would quickly have figured out that it was Barnes. 

"You caused me to lose the one thing that mattered to me most, Grief," Barnes said, and he was no longer smiling. His features were red and distorted with anger. "Let's see if I can return the favor."

He raised the gun in his hand, aiming at something to the side of David. He had to have picked up the gun just as they rose from the ground. David suddenly knew, in the pit of his stomach, that Barnes was aiming at Isabelle. He heard her gasp next to him. Even as Barnes' finger tightened on the trigger, David was in motion. He desperately strained to reach Barnes. Yet he knew that he was too far away.

Everything seemed to slow to a crawl. David saw Barnes move in slow motion, saw the hammer cock back on the gun, the click echoing like thunder in his ears. He stretched out his arm and lunged.

There was a roar that, to David's ears, was as loud as a cannon. A cloud of smoke from a gun filled the air. David heard the thud of a body hit the sand. A red miasma rose up in his mind, filling his vision with despair.

"NO!" he screamed, feeling his heart shatter to pieces. He'd been too late. 

****

Oh, aren't I awful to leave it there? *_evil grin_* Who gets shot? I promise not to have the next installment wait so long-it's actually about half done. Please, enjoy, and use that little button down there and review!


	6. Part VI

**Part VI******

    He squeezed his eyes shut, begging, pleading with the universe to undo this. To let it have been a mistake. To let Isabelle live. He could not imagine her gone from his life. Her teasing words and unquestioned support, the joy she took in the smallest details of friendship, her scowls and her laughter, her soft mouth…it couldn't all be gone. He needed it. He needed _her_.

    He was unaware that his hands were clenched into fists, and that tears were starting to flow down his cheeks. _Please, God, please don't let her be dead_, he whispered silently.

    He heard Mauriri call his name, but he ignored it. What could he possibly say that would matter? Then another voice softly called to him.

    "David, David, please open your eyes. It's all right."

    His eyes flew open in shock. He stared at the apparition in front of him in complete and total amazement. It couldn't be. It couldn't possibly be. He had heard the gun go off, and it had been pointed at her. He had heard a body hit the ground. He lifted a shaking hand.

    "Isabelle?" he whispered, his hand gently coming to rest on her face. It was real. She was real. The cheek was warm and soft under his hand. She leaned into his touch, her own hands coming up to hold his. She smiled and nodded. Joy suddenly burst sharply into his heart. She was alive!

    "Oh my God!" he cried, and abruptly pulled her into his embrace. She was truly real and solid against him, her arms coming around to hold him tightly. He breathed in the scent of her hair, burying his fingers in her luxuriant dark curls. He drew back to stare into her lovely eyes, eyes that were sparkling with happiness and tears. Mindful of her split lip, he nonetheless placed his mouth squarely on hers and proceeded to kiss her thoroughly. She moaned into his mouth, her hands clutching fistfuls of his shirt as she pressed more fully into him. Finally he drew away, placing another gentle kiss on her forehead before grabbing her shoulders.

    "How?" he asked her, his breath sounding harsh to his own ears. "I heard the gun, Isabelle, and he was aiming at you from so close. How did he miss you? Not that I'm complaining," he hastily added, one hand letting go of her shoulder to caress the curve of her cheekbone.

    Isabelle smiled tremulously. David's show of emotion had shocked her, but at the same time had flushed her entire body with warmth. He really did care. It thrilled her, but now was not the time.

    "He didn't miss, David," she said. Noting his confused, disbelieving look, she added, "He never shot in the first place. That was another gun."

    Her head slowly turned back to where Barnes had been standing, and David followed her gaze. His jaw dropped as he took in the sight of Barnes lying facedown on the jungle floor, quite dead, blood still oozing from a bullet hole in his back. He looked up, his hands dropping from the loose embrace he had been holding Isabelle in. 

    He saw Katie, and saw the confusion that clouded her features. She was standing slightly behind where Barnes was. David took in her right arm, hanging limply at her side, and the still-smoking gun that was still held loosely in her hand. 

    She had shot him. It was Katie, not her cousin, which had fired the gun. It was Barnes instead of Isabelle lying on the ground in a pool of blood. The roar David had heard was Katie's gun going off moments before Barnes would have shot Isabelle. She looked at him, that confused look still in her eyes.

    "I had to shoot, David," she said simply and softly. "He would have killed Isabelle, he really would have. I had to shoot…" Her voice trailed off as she looked down at the body. Her calm silence told David that she was in shock. All of a sudden her eyes widened and she gasped, the gun sliding from suddenly nerveless fingers. 

    "David!" she cried, her hands coming up to cover her mouth, her body starting to shake. She was coming out of the shock very quickly. David gave a quick nod to Isabelle, and she smiled briefly and pushed him towards Katie. In a few short steps, David had reached the girl. 

    "Katie?" he said, and gently put a finger under her chin. He raised her eyes to meet his. She stared at him, shock and confusion and terror filling the sapphire depths of her eyes. She clutched at him convulsively, her hands frantically crushing the cloth of his shirt. 

    "David, I killed a man!" she wailed, her body trembling as tears slid down her cheeks. "I killed him! I didn't even think, I just pulled the trigger, and shot him, and…and…David, his body jerked when I shot…I…I've never killed…" Her voice trailed off as she buried her head in David's chest.

    He gently held her, soothing her maelstrom of emotions as best he could by stroking her tumbled hair and rocking her slightly. She shook in his arms as she cried. David spared a glance of disgust at Barnes' body. It was bad enough that the man had conspired to rob Katie of her business, and then threatened her, but even in his final moments he had found a way to do more damage to the girl. David knew how it felt to kill someone, and how the guilt could eat at you even if the killing was justified. He cursed Barnes silently for inflicting that kind of anguish on this gentle soul.

    Finally Katie's shudders tapered off, and she stood silent in David's arms. He pulled away and bent his head to look at her. He placed a finger under her chin and raised her face until her eyes met his. She had stopped crying, but the look in those eyes hurt him. There was so much pain and sadness there, and an awareness that David had never thought he would see in her eyes. She was aware of what it felt like to have someone die of your own doing. He closed his eyes briefly at the unfairness of the universe, and then looked back at her.

    "Are you all right to start back to the ship now?" he asked. Her eyes glanced down at his question, then carefully looked over at the others waiting patiently, before returning to David.

    "It hurts, David," she whispered. "It feels like an awful pit in my stomach. He was a monster, but it still hurts." 

    "I know," he said, hugging her close again. He gently kissed her forehead and looked down at her again. She nodded her assent, and he started to guide her towards the others. Jack and Tah-mey had prodded the two pirates who were awake over to pick up their unconscious companions, and David noticed that Isabelle was holding a gun on them as Jack went over to get Barnes' body. Mauriri stepped up to David as he reached the group.

    "David, we saw it all," he said. "Just in case Morlais asks." He looked directly at David, who nodded. He understood. Mauriri was saying that he wasn't to worry, that he would make Morlais understand why Katie shot Barnes, and why she should not be in trouble for it. 

    "Thanks, Mo," David said. In a lower voice that was tight with emotion, he added, "And thanks for coming after me." 

    Mauriri nodded his head once, and gave David a brief smile. Things were by no means settled between the two of them, but he wanted David to know that he would still stand by his friend. He took the gun from Isabelle, leaving her free to move to David and Katie.

    "David, are you OK?" Isabelle asked. Her cuts had stopped bleeding, but David could see the ugly bruises that were starting to form on her cheek and jaw. He smiled at her concern. She had been treated nearly as roughly as he had been, minus one bullet wound, but she was expressing anxiety over him! He touched her hand.

    "I'm fine, Isabelle, just a little worse for wear. Really. There's nothing that can wait until we get back to the _Rattler_." 

    She cast a disbelieving eye over the bandage freshly spotted with blood, but held her tongue. She turned to Katie and carefully wrapped the girl in a gentle hug. Katie clung fiercely to her, and it was several moments before she let Isabelle go. David turned and gestured to the men behind him, and they set off. 

    David walked with Katie on one side of him, holding tightly to his hand, with Isabelle walking on the other side of him, close enough for their hands to occasionally brush. Tah-mey was next, keeping an eye on the first pirate carrying his unconscious cohort, with Jack following, keeping his gun trained on the next pirate, and Mauriri brought up the rear as he dragged Barnes through the jungle.

    They finally made it to the beach, where the _Rattler_ waited, along with the _Delphin_, the ship Mauriri had borrowed. Morlais' man, who had been spending his time waiting by pacing back and forth, looked at the weary group in astonishment. He quickly recovered and went to take custody of the pirates. Mauriri and Jack pulled him aside and spoke quietly for several minutes. From the looks the man occasionally threw at Katie, David knew that his friends were telling the man what had happened. He finally looked up and spoke sharply to the pirates, telling them that they were under arrest, and directed them up on the _Delphin_. Tah-mey and Jack followed. Mauriri hesitated, and turned to David. He seemed to be struggling with words. David regarded him curiously, before Mauriri finally spoke.

    "You don't look like you're fit to sail as well as tend to Isabelle and Katie, David. Why don't I come along for now and help you?"

    David stared at him in astonishment. Mauriri wanted to sail with him on the _Rattler_, albeit for this brief trip to bring them home? It took a moment for him to recover his wits, but then he grinned at Mauriri and shook his hand.

    "It'll be good to have you there, Mo," he said. Mauriri mumbled something and strode over to inform Jack and Tah-mey of the new arrangements. He couldn't help the small smile on his face. 

    David, turning back to the women, felt his smile fading as his eyes found Katie standing slightly apart, staring out at the sun slowly rising over the water. Her face was so lost. He gestured for Isabelle to proceed onto the _Rattler_, and then walked over to Katie. He grasped her arm and gently guided her to the ship. 

    Once they were underway, David left Mauriri at the helm and went down to the cabin where Isabelle and Katie were waiting. He found Isabelle finishing checking on the lump on Katie's forehead. The bandages tossed into a small box were evidence that Isabelle had checked the wound on Katie's back. Katie looked at David, and without a word passed him to go up on deck. He watched her leave with a worried look in his eyes.

    "She'll be all right, David," Isabelle said, startling him a little. He turned to her and she sighed, rinsing her hands in a small basin of water. "She just has a lot to think about right now. She needs a little time to herself."

    David took in Isabelle's ragged appearance and smiled inwardly. Even cut and bruised she was beautiful, made even more so by the care she expressed for his little "sister." He walked over to her and took the basin from her hands, dumping it out into a small bucket on the floor and filling it with fresh water. He turned back to Isabelle.

    "Now it's your turn. Come on, Isabelle, sit down and let me have a look at those cuts. We have to make sure they're properly taken care of."

    "And you're just the man to do it, huh, David?" she teased lightly, one eyebrow raised. He grinned at her and directed her to one of the bunks. She grudgingly accepted and sat down, turning her face up for his inspection. He carefully wet a cloth and gently cleaned the cuts, doing his best to keep from adding to her pain. Even so, she still hissed a few times during his ministrations. He shot her an apologetic look, and she accepted with a tiny nod. When he was done, he examined his handiwork critically.

    "Looks like those will heal up nicely. Shouldn't leave a mark," he said, knowing that Isabelle liked to use her formidable attractiveness to give her an edge in business. She rolled her eyes at him and he grinned. Nimbly she hopped off the bunk and faced him.

    "All right then, David, it's your turn. That shoulder needs to be looked at." She started to reach for the basin, as he had, but his hand on her arm stopped her. 

    "Thank you, Isabelle," he said, his face all seriousness. "Thank you for taking care of me and Katie. You were great out there, dealing with us and those pirates. I'm glad to have a friend like you." 

    She squirmed slightly, embarrassed at David's words, and, to her surprise, a little hurt. A friend. Only a friend. That was how David saw her, no matter what she felt for him, no matter what she _thought_ had passed between them on Raiatea. She could not help the flash of disappointment that crossed her face.

    "You're welcome, David," she said. "I was glad to do it." She avoided his eyes and again tried to reach for the basin.

    David frowned. He knew as soon as that last sentence left his mouth that it was not quite right. And he had seen that look cross her face. He had no doubt that he had caused it, but he wasn't entirely sure why. He _was_ sure that he wanted to know. Isabelle was complicated enough that he didn't want to guess. He touched her arm again.

    "Isabelle?" he asked in confusion. Her eyelashes briefly swept up, and he _knew_ that he didn't like the expression in those silvery green eyes. "Isabelle, what did I say? I really do admire you, you know. I'm sorry if-"

    "It's nothing, David," she cut in hurriedly. "I'm just tired, I guess. Now really, we need to look at your shoulder."

    This time he grabbed her arm. 

    "Isabelle-" he began, only to be cut off as Mauriri stuck his head into the cabin. 

    "David?" he said. "Katie has the wheel, and I-oh, sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt." He felt his face color slightly. He knew he had walked into the middle of something.

    "No, you weren't interrupting, Mauriri," Isabelle said, with a tone in her voice akin to relief. "I was just telling David to let me have a look at his shoulder.

    "Do you need any help?" Mauriri asked. He found a fresh bandage at Isabelle's direction, and held the pad in place as she wound the cloth around David's shoulder. David, for his part, was irritated. He felt that a few moments more and Isabelle might have told him what was troubling her. However, he knew better than to push right now, and gratefully accepted their aid. When they finished, Isabelle shooed them out of the cabin, reminding Mauriri that he should tend to the ship, and David needed to check on Katie. She sighed in relief when they left. She wasn't sure if she would have been able to hold off David's questions, and she didn't want to admit her feeling when he did not share them.

    David stepped out on deck and took a deep breath of fresh sea air. He noticed that Mauriri was handling the wheel with remembered ease. He looked around the deck for Katie and found her sitting against the base of the mast, her head tipped back and her eyes closed. He noticed with some concern that her eyes were dark-shadowed, and her posture was one of utter weariness. He grimaced slightly. In the last couple of days, she had been pushed to the limits of her physical and mental endurance. She had run all over an island, had come through a storm, had watched a member of her own family murder several innocent men, had been shot and watched her friends being beaten, and to top it off, she had been forced to kill that selfsame family member. David wondered that she was able to hold it together so well and not be off in a corner indulging in some well-deserved hysterics.

    He stepped closer to Katie and stood looking down at her. They were silent for a long moment, and then Katie sighed.

    "I can hear you breathing, David. What is it?"

    David shook his head, and then settled himself next to Katie, leaning back shoulder-to-shoulder with her against the mast. Katie opened her eyes and turned her head to look at him. In spite of the brightness of the morning, shadows turned her eyes nearly navy blue.

    "How are you feeling now, love?" David asked.

    Katie cocked her head at the casual use of the endearment. David had used it frequently when she had first known him, and it felt nice to hear it again, like coming home to find a long-lost brother. She took in a deep breath and let it out in a noisy gust of air. She drew her knees up and wrapped her arms around her legs.

    "I can't exactly say better, David. I don't think 'better' will be here for a little while. But I'm calmer. I'll be all right."

    "I'm so sorry about this, Katie. I wish it hadn't happened, not to you."

    Katie let out a throb of laughter that was perilously close to a sob.

    "I'm no more or less special than anyone else, David. Bad things can happen to me just as easily as they can happen to you. Do you know what helps? It's that _you're_ here, David."  

    David, somewhat stunned by Katie's faith in him, reached out and gripped her shoulders warmly, reassuringly, pulling her tightly to him. She rested her head on his shoulder and sighed, and they simply sat there watching the clouds sail by. She would be OK, David surmised. She would be terribly sad for a bit, but she would be OK. 

    They made good time, and reached Matavai Bay about an hour before sunset. David and Mauriri had traded places, and David carefully steered the _Rattler_ to the dock. He saw that the _Delphin_ was already there and had disembarked. He grinned as he spotted Lieutenant Morlais grilling the first man in the line of pirates, loudly enough for the irritated tones to drift to David's ears.

    Lianni, Lavinia and Clare watched anxiously as David finished. Lianni in particular had been anxious. Mauriri had given her only sketchy details before setting off after David. The worried look abruptly cleared as she saw Mauriri clamber down and complete the _Rattler_'s docking. He turned and saw his wife beaming at him, and quickly swept her into an embrace, spinning her around as she laughed. He kissed her briefly but soundly, and then released her to hug Lavinia and Clare in turn.

    David watched with a small stab of longing. He found himself wondering what it would be like to have someone waiting just as anxiously for him to come home. He turned to see that Isabelle had existed the cabin and was watching Mauriri and Lianni with a look on her face that seemed to mirror his own feelings. She caught him watching her and turned away to speak to Katie, who was just behind her. David frowned. The past few hours Isabelle had exhibited an uncomfortableness around him that he didn't like. He was bound and determined that after they talked to Morlais, he would sit her down and find out what was really wrong. 

    Isabelle preceded him down the walkway, only to be swept into a jumble of hugs from Clare, and, more surprisingly, Lavinia. David was amused by the startled look on her face. He saw that Isabelle really wasn't aware of just how much the opinions of the people around her had changed. Clare started talking a mile a minute, drawing Isabelle away, and David followed Katie down and was met by Lavinia. She smiled and gave him a tight hug, which he returned without reservation. He didn't notice the pained look Isabelle darted at him. 

    Lavinia turned to Katie and laid a hand on the girl's shoulder. After the _Delphin_ had docked and Jack had given Clare a hug and kiss that left her blushing, he told them an extremely condensed version of the events, as far as he knew them. 

    "How are you, Katie?" she asked, her voice soft and gentle. 

    "Calm," Katie said, throwing a glance at David, who smiled understandingly even as Lavinia seemed confused. "Really, I'm all right. I'll be fine, thank you."

    Morlais interrupted them, asking the whole group to head over to the jail to at least give a preliminary statement while the details were still fresh in their minds. He was aware of their need to rest after their ordeal, but he didn't want anything important to be forgotten while they slept. 

    Though he tried, David couldn't manage to get close enough to Isabelle on the walk to the jail to talk to her. Once there, Morlais asked them questions about the events, exhibiting a gentleness that surprised David. Obviously Katie's appearance and Isabelle's condition were working in their favor. Once they were done, he excused them and asked the men to recount their memories of the past couple of days. David kept an eye on the door, where he could see Katie's profile as she presumably talked to Isabelle. 

    When they finished, promising to return the next day to give a fuller statement, David quickly went outside. He was most irritated to find Katie talking not to Isabelle, but to Lavinia. 

    "Where's Isabelle?" he asked, not quite hiding the exasperation in his voice. Lavinia cocked an eyebrow in amusement. So Katie's impressions had been right-something had happened between David and Isabelle on Raiatea. 

    "She went home, David," Katie answered. "She was very tired, and it's getting late. She's going to be at the jail tomorrow, just like we are. David, could we go to Lavinia's now, please?"

    The tremor in her voice dismissed all of David's ideas to go and talk to Isabelle, in spite of the hour. He took a good look at Katie. She was very pale, and her hands were trembling. 

    "Of course," he said, smiling at her and tucking her hand into the crook of his arm. He escorted her back to her room for some much-needed rest. Once he had said good night, she quietly asked Lavinia to keep an eye on Katie. He could only imagine the nightmares she would face. Lavinia nodded solemnly and promised to check in on Katie regularly. 

    The next morning dawned bright and clear. In spite of the nightmares that _had_ troubled her sleep the night before, Katie's eyes were clear and her face calm when David arrived to take her over for their interview with Morlais. She was still too pale for his liking, but she was composed. 

    She requested that David be present when Morlais questioned her, both to add to or correct the details she remembered as well as for emotional support. David winced slightly when Isabelle arrived. The bruises on her face were not as swollen, but they had colored her skin in a way that he knew she found most annoying. She spared him only a brief glance when she arrived, and went in to speak. David was worried about her state as well. He paced as they waited. Katie watched him with some amusement. 

    When they were called in, David was startled. Isabelle had not exited! Then he saw the second door where she had to have left from, and frowned. She was definitely avoiding him, and for the life of him he couldn't imagine why! Was she angry that he couldn't protect her? Ashamed of kissing him? Upset that he kissed her? His preoccupation was noticeable to Morlais, but he put it down to the stress of the past few days. Katie, however, was not fooled. She too had noticed Isabelle's behavior, and she could see that it was upsetting David. 

    By the time they finished, Katie was limp and drained. Retelling the things they'd had to go through had taken its toll on her. David was in better shape, but the anger he felt at Barnes' actions came through quite clearly. 

    Morlais cleared his throat. He stood up and faced the two. 

    "It seems quite clear, Mr. Grief, Miss Leighton, that you acted in the best way possible to keep yourselves alive and make sure that Mr. Barnes did not get away with what he was planning. As much as I appreciate your actions, I have to advise you to never, EVER, do it again! If I hear that you have gone after criminals without my knowledge, meaning that my _trained_ men cannot do what is necessary, I will have no qualms about throwing _both_ of you in jail for your behavior! You are NOT the police! Have I made myself clear?" 

    Katie and David mumbled an affirmative as they fidgeted in their seats. Morlais sighed, sat down, and with a wave of his hand dismissed them. David helped Katie up and escorted her back to the bar. Halfway there, Katie started laughing. 

    "Did you see his face, David? I thought he was going to burst! He was so torn between wanting to say good job for catching those pirates and wanting to wring both our necks for breaking so badly with protocol!"

    Her laughter was music to David's ears. He understood that part of the reason she was laughing was release of the tension she had been under, as well as sincere amusement at Morlais, and he was glad to hear that sound again. He couldn't help grinning. His grin stayed all the way to Lavinia's bar, where Lavinia informed him that Isabelle had stopped by about an hour before to ask Lavinia to tell David and Katie that she was leaving for a few days on a trading trip to Papeete.

    David stopped grinning. He scowled. He had been looking forward to having some time alone with Isabelle. He was determined to get to the bottom of her recent behavior. He wanted to know just what he had done to upset her. He abruptly excused himself, muttering something about checking over the _Rattler_. 

    Katie watched him go and sank down into a chair, sighing. It was early enough for the bar to be relatively empty. Lavinia settled down next to her, handing Katie a glass of water. Katie thanked her and took several long swallows. 

    Lavinia propped her chin on her hands and watched David walk towards the harbor, his back stiff. She shook her head.

    "So, Katie, what do you think? Is David upset about something Isabelle did to him or something he did to her?"

    Katie smiled. She appreciated that Lavinia chose not to ask about what had happened to her on Raiatea, and instead picked a safer topic. "So you noticed too? About him and Isabelle?" At Lavinia's nod, she turned to watch David disappear around a bend in the path, and continued.

    "I could see there was something between them. It's the oddest thing. It's as if they don't want to admit it to themselves. But I'm certain something happened on that island. David got very red and skipped over that part when the lieutenant questioned him. After Mauriri arrived, I left with him to go back and get the others, and left David and Isabelle alone. They were alone for a few hours. Whatever it is that's bothering Isabelle, it happened then. And whatever David did to upset her worse, it happened later."

    Lavinia shook her head. "Those two. You know, for the longest time David and I were something of an item. We were lovers."

    "Yes, I know," Katie interrupted. "David wrote about you in his letters. He cared for you very much, and if I'm not mistaken, still does."

    Lavinia raised an eyebrow at that. "Yes, we still love each other, but we fell out of love quite a while back. We were good with each other, but there was..I don't know, a spark of _something_ missing between us. When Isabelle first came here, I wanted to blame her for David and I parting ways, but it wasn't her. We were on our way out before she showed up. It was just easier to blame her. But she's changed so much, for the better, and she's good for David." She smiled wryly. "I do have to admit that she probably understands him better than I do. And can you see how much she cares for him?"

    "She loves him," Katie said quietly. "It's so obvious. She loves him so much. And I think maybe David could love her too, if he could get past his stupid idea that she's not right for him!"

    Lavinia nodded. "He's afraid. The affair with Jenny really scarred him. I'm not sure if he thinks he can trust someone with his heart again. But you're right. Isabelle loves him." She gave an unladylike snort of derision. "And you'd think that what happened on Raiatea would make them understand how fragile life is, and how you can't take anything for granted. But those two! They're enough to try the patience of a saint!"

    Katie grinned. "I know. But enough about them for now. I'm going up to my room to rest. Could you please fetch me for dinner? I don't think I can stomach lunch."

    Lavinia agreed, and watched Katie walk up the stair. She admired the young woman's fortitude. David had told her much of what had happened, and she didn't know if she would be taking things as well as Katie was. She only hoped that Katie really _was_ taking things well.

    Four days later, Lavinia approached David. She watched him exchange awkward pleasantries with Mauriri. In spite of the fact that Mauriri had rushed to help David out on Raiatea, they were still not as comfortable with each other as Lavinia had hoped. They were oddly formal around each other, and David had yet to clap Mauriri familiarly on the shoulder or even visit Lianni and the kids for dinner. At least Mauriri had softened somewhat. Lavinia knew that he'd accepted David's offer of a short run around Matavai this morning to pick up some supplies. She only wished that there were some way to lock the two of them up until they _had_ to air their grievances…She sighed and put that thought aside, waiting until David had bid Mauriri farewell. 

    He turned and saw her coming toward him, and smiled. She smiled back and hugged him. 

    "How are you this morning, David? How's the shoulder?"

    He flexed his arm experimentally. "Much better, thanks. It's healing up nicely. The doctor took the bandage off yesterday, and says other than stiff muscles for a few more days, I should end up with nothing worse than another interesting scar."

    "Good." She broke off, hesitating, and David urged her to continue. "David, I wanted to talk to you. It's Katie."

    Alarm flared in his eyes. "What happened? Is she all right?"

    "No, no, she's fine, David. Physically that is. It's just that, well, I'm worried about her. She gets up very early and goes to bed very late. She's pushing herself too hard, David. She's lost a couple of pounds, and she has a hollow look around her eyes. So far, except for that first night, she hasn't woken me up with nightmares, but I don't think she's sleeping, either."

    David frowned. He too had noticed something off about Katie, but she had brushed it off, telling him that she'd just been keeping busy. 

    "What should I do?"

    Lavinia rested her hand on his arm. "Go talk to her, David. You're like family to her. You're probably the one person she feels really comfortable enough with to talk about it. It's like a festering wound, David. It's only going to get worse if something isn't done now."

    He nodded and leaned over, kissing her cheek. She smiled and playfully swatted his arm.

    "Now, none of that, you flirt. Get going and see to your 'sister.'"

    "Thank you, Lavinia," he said with a serious face. "I really do appreciate what you're doing for Katie. What did I do to deserve a friend like you?"

    She laughed. "Oh, one of the gods probably took pity on you. Go, shoo!" He chuckled and headed off towards the bar. She watched him go. She hoped he could help, because she really was worried about Katie. At least, she reasoned, David would do no more harm to the girl.

    David found Katie inside the bar, poring over a sheaf of papers in front of her. Inventory lists, from the look of them. Most likely they were records from the ships that had been attacked. The pirates had been surprisingly helpful, urged on no doubt by Morlais' threats of immediate hanging if they didn't cooperate. Though a great deal of the cargo of the raided ship had been lost, enough was being recovered to make the losses suffered by Leighton Shipping much less severe. 

    He sat down next to her and snatched the papers away. She let out a cry of protest, and David was shocked by her appearance. Lavinia was right. Her eyes were lost in the dark shadows that surrounded them, and her skin was so pale she looked ill. He put the papers down and grabbed her hands, scooting his chair closer to her.

    "My God, Katie, look at you! You look like Death warmed over!"

    "Nice to see you too, David," she muttered sourly. She tried to tug her hands away to no avail, and gave up. She sat and glared at him.

    "That's my business, David. I have to check on those inventories. I have to account for everything-"

    "Not to the point of making yourself sick, Katie. When was the last time you ate? Slept?" She squirmed, refusing to look him in the eye. Knowing that they needed more privacy, David stood and pulled her with him out the back door. Still holding one of her hands, he used his other hand to raise her chin until she looked him in the eye.

    "Can you talk to me, Katie? Lavinia is worried. I'm worried."

    "What do you want me to say, David? I'm fine. I just have to work hard."

    "No," he contradicted. "This is not fine. You are not fine. Please, Katie, talk to me. I love you. I only want to help."

    "You can't," she snarled, pulling away hard enough to make him release her. She stood a few feet away, arms crossed defensively. David simply watched her struggle to find the words she wanted.

    "You can't take away the nightmares, David. Every time I close my eyes, I see his face. I see the blood. I watch him fall. I can smell the smoke from the gun and taste the sweat in my mouth. I watch him be shot and fall over and over again. God, David, how can you help with that?" Her tone was full of pain.

    David stepped closer and took her shoulders in his hands. "I can be here, Katie. I can listen. I can understand."

    He watched her face crumple, and she started to cry. He led her to a small woodpile and sat her down. For the next half hour he made good on his word and listened to her pour out her fear and pain. Sometimes his heart ached, but he controlled his reactions and just let her talk. Finally she ran out of words and they just sat there for a while. He watched her face. She still looked tired, but the lines of pain had faded, and her clear eyes were just a little bit bluer. 

    "Thank you, David," she whispered. "I needed that."

    "You're welcome, Katie. You know, I think I needed that too. I've been feeling so helpless about what happened to you, and wondering what I could do to help."

    "You did the right thing, David. So we're both a little better now."

    He grinned. "Well, you are. I'm afraid I may still be just as much a scoundrel as before."

    His words had the intended effect, and she laughed. Then she hesitated, biting her lip.

    "David, may I ask you something?"

    "Of course."

    She took a deep breath. "Do you know that Isabelle arrived here last night?" At his cautious nod, she continued. "Have you talked to her yet?"

    He looked down, suddenly very interested in the wood grain beneath him. "I don't imagine that we have anything to talk about. She obviously doesn't want to be around me," he mumbled, unaware of the frustration in his voice.

    Katie heard it. Now it was her turn to help. She got up and moved until she stood directly in front of him. He looked up at her.

    "David, you need to talk to her. You can't let things go worse."

    "Why not?" he countered. "She hasn't tried to talk. Why should I want to fix things between us?"

    "Because you fit, David. The two of you fit so perfectly. I can see that so clearly. Why can't you?"

    David was, for once, completely and utterly floored. He and Isabelle fit? Perfectly? And Katie could see this? He thought about it. He certainly admired Isabelle, both her magnificent looks and even more magnificent mind. She was a good partner and a hard worker. He didn't want to even imagine her out of his life, but this? Did they really fit? Katie's voice interrupted his thoughts.

    "David?" When he looked at her again, she continued. "David, can you answer one more thing? Don't even think." When he raised his eyebrows, she went on. "David, do you think you could be falling in love with Isabelle?"

    David was too flustered to even try and evade the question.

    "Yes." His admission obviously startled him, but as he mulled it over in his mind, it became easier to say. "Yes, I think I could be falling in love with her. She's the most exasperating woman I've ever met! She drives me crazy. Of course that makes her perfect for me."

    Katie swallowed a smile. She grabbed David's hand and pulled him to his feet. She hugged him tightly, and then turned him away from the bar. 

    "Then you go and talk to her, you big idiot. And, David, thank you for being here."

    He touched her cheek, still bemused by her questions. She smiled, and then determinedly shoved him in the direction of Isabelle's stables. 

    David allowed himself to be moved, hearing the back door close behind him as Katie went into the bar. He continued walking as he tried to process what he had said. In love with Isabelle. Surprisingly, it wasn't as disturbing a thought as he imagined it would be. He was so lost in his thoughts that he was nearly at Isabelle's stables before he registered the fact that he had been walking. He stopped abruptly, debating whether or not to go in. Just as he had about convinced himself that this was not the right time, he spotted Isabelle coming out of the stables and heading for her office. 

    He squared his shoulders. David Grief was many things, but coward wasn't one of them. He headed off after Isabelle.

    He caught up with her just as she reached the stairs. 

    "Isabelle!" he called.

    She turned in surprise, and he got a good look at her face. The bruises had faded, and only the cut on her cheek stood out against her fair skin. He was taken back by the irritation in her face as she caught sight of him. She sighed.

    "What is it, David? Can you make it quick? I have things to do."

    He didn't allow her to dissuade him. "I heard that you were back and just wanted to drop by and see how you were doing. How are you doing?"

    She rolled her eyes. "Obviously fine, David. Anything else?"

    "How was Papeete?"

    "Hot."

    "Did you get all your trading done?"

    She sighed again and reached out to grab his arm. "Come on, David. As much fun as it is to stand out here and chat, I really do have things to do. We can talk while I make a cup of tea, and then you can go."

    He followed her up the stairs until they reached her office. He allowed her to go ahead of him, and stopped with his hand resting on the doorknob. Now or never. He thought he knew of the one question that he very much wanted to ask her, a question that had been plaguing his mind for days. He waited until she turned towards him, her arms crossed and the slender fingers of one hand tapping out an impatient rhythm on the opposite arm. 

    "Isabelle, do you remember that question I asked you on Raiatea? If that kiss we shared meant so little to you? I'd like an answer."

    Isabelle's arms and mouth dropped in shock as she stared at David, eyes wide. She had not been expecting that question. She was unable to do anything but watch helplessly as David moved further into her office and shut the door behind him.


	7. Part VII

Author's notes: OK, so this one gets a little, how shall I put it…steamy. Just a warning that this goes up to a strong PG-13. Hope you like it, and please, please, PLEASE, read and review! Review especially. It warms my little heart. Part VII 

    David turned to see Isabelle staring at him in shock, before her eyes narrowed and the stare turned into a glare that David was very familiar with. Uh-oh. Isabelle had had that same look on her eyes before she had charged in and beat up those men at Lavinia's bar. He decided to go ahead anyway. Faint heart never won fair lady and all that.

    "So, in case you forgot already, Isabelle, _did_ that kiss on Raiatea mean so little to you?"

    She turned abruptly and walked around to stand behind her desk. Her arms were still folded, and she was still glaring at him. David understood that she was trying to put some distance between them with the very real presence of her desk. 

    "What does it matter to you, David?" she finally said. 

    "It just does," he replied. "It's been on my mind."

    "For heaven's sake, why?" she huffed out. Her posture had relaxed somewhat, but she was still tense. "We kissed. It's not as if we've never done that before." She shrugged. "Call it a moment of weakness and moonlight madness," she tossed off flippantly.

    David held his ground. From the way that she was avoiding the question, he had an idea that this was part of the reason that she had studiously been avoiding him. He took one step forward.

    "That's not an answer, Isabelle," he said, trying to catch her eye. "I'm not going to leave until you give me a real answer."

    She finally looked straight at him, her eyes wary. Taking a deep breath, her arms unfolded and she took a step away from the desk towards him. 

    "No," she sighed, "it didn't mean so little to me. It was…good. I liked it. Why are you being so insistent about knowing how I felt, David?"

    David, having gotten the answer that he was hoping for, couldn't help grinning. However, Isabelle's return question caught him off guard. He backpedaled quickly, not sure if he should push this any more than he already had.

    "It was bothering me, that's all," he said. He shot her a little smirk. "I just wanted to make sure that I was memorable."

    Her mouth dropped a little, and again she was glaring daggers at him. David winced slightly, realizing that the tease had fallen very, very flat. He was tempted to beat a hasty retreat, before Katie's words came back to him. _The two of you fit so perfectly_. Before Isabelle could turn and order him out, he took a step forward, startling her out of whatever angry reply she was going to make. 

    "I'm sorry," he sighed. Fidgeting slightly, he faced her questioning gaze. "That was rude, and not at all what I wanted to say. It's just that around you, Isabelle, I don't know what happens to me. You drive me crazy."

    She rolled her eyes. "That's certainly one of the stupidest apologies I've heard."

    He shook his head. "Listen. I have to say this. Talking with our resident meddler made me understand something, Isabelle."

    "What did talking with Katie make you understand, David?" 

    He grinned. Isabelle knew perfectly well whom he had been talking about. The grin faded as he took a deep breath. 

    "I understand that I've been falling in love with you, Isabelle." 

    Isabelle was shocked into complete immobility. David was falling in love with her? David…was falling in love…with _her_? But his past behavior indicated that he only liked her, maybe lusted after her, never anything close to love. Her head whirled with confusion. Wide-open silvery green eyes stared at David. He could see that he had thrown her for a loop with that pronouncement. He ducked his head slightly and looked into her eyes.

    "I know this is coming as a surprise, Isabelle. I don't blame you. If I were you, I'd be stunned by me too. I haven't acted as I should have." He started to pace in front of her, running his hands through his sun-streaked hair nervously. 

    "Isabelle, I don't treat you fairly. You've proven yourself a good and loyal friend, and an excellent partner, and I never really say anything about it. I'm sorry." He stopped to face her. She was still looking at him with confusion. He stepped closer and took her hands. She gasped slightly as the contact broke the spell.

    "I'm saying that I'm an idiot. Probably the biggest idiot in Matavai, if not in the entire South Seas. I've taken you for granted, and I shouldn't have. You're an amazing person, and I should kick myself for not telling you sooner. Can you forgive me?"

    Her eyes searched his, looking for any signs of deceit. To her astonishment, he appeared perfectly sincere. David was telling the truth. David thought she was amazing. David was falling in love with her. That last thought was still the hardest to process.

    "Well, yes, I forgive you, David. But, about what you said, I mean, you don't really, how long, why now-oh, David!" The confusion in her was rapidly giving way to irritation. She was getting used to being in a one-sided relationship with him, and he was turning her world topsy-turvy. She pulled her hands away and backed up a little. She needed to give herself a bit of space to digest what David had said. 

    David watched her steadily, his hazel green eyes piercing her. She looked down abruptly, only to see her hands twisting nervously. She pulled her hands apart and reached behind her for the reassuring bulk of the desk. Finding it, she looked up again, only to find his eyes still fixed on her.

    David kept himself in place with a sheer act of will. He wanted more than anything to go over to her and at least touch her, but he had the feeling that she would jump like a cat. Instead, he waited until she seemed a little calmer. Even so, when he spoke again, she still appeared startled.

    "Isabelle," he said softly, "do you think we have a chance? I mean, would you take a chance? On me?" He didn't hear the plea in his voice, but Isabelle did, and David watched her beautiful eyes soften. A tremulous smile appeared on her face.

    "Oh, David, I…" She swallowed hard, and continued. "Yes. I would take a chance on you, on us. I'd like that very much." She bit her lip as his face brightened. "But, if you want me to take a chance on you, David, then why do you avoid me? Why treat me as just one of your friends, or worse, just an annoyance you have to put up with?"

    He squirmed slightly, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand. He knew that he had to say this right, or, even though she had said she would take a chance on them, he felt that she would withdraw again. 

    "You scare me," he admitted, somewhat sheepishly. He saw Isabelle's eyes widen in surprise, and he gamely kept going. "You scare me with your fierce independence, and how strong you are, and how damnably smart you are! And, there's one more thing. You scare me with how deeply you're in my heart. Isabelle, I can't even begin to explain how much you mean to me. You are so different from anyone I've ever known, and I've never felt this way about anyone. Not even Lavinia. It scares me how much I need you."

    Isabelle was reduced to a state of barely breathing. She had never thought she would hear David Grief say _that_ to her. She struggled to say something, anything. Finally, the words burst out of her.

    "You scare me too," she whispered. "I don't want to want you so much. I've always had to rely on myself, and it's so hard to think of needing someone else. But I need you too, David." She took a shuddery breath to steady herself, but she was still trembling. "If I scare you so much, then why come here and ask me these things?" She waited for his answer, hope and fear chasing themselves around her heart. 

     "I tried, believe me, Isabelle, I tried, but I couldn't stay away from you," David said, in a low voice taut with emotion. Isabelle stared at him, her eyes wide, her breath coming in little puffs of air. In her wildest dreams, she had never imagined David saying this. Sleeping with her, yes, but expressing this kind of emotion? She was, quite frankly, flabbergasted. 

    For a long, silent moment, the two stared at each other. David's eyes were full of feeling, and Isabelle felt herself drowning in the intense hazel gaze. She couldn't look away. Finally, Isabelle broke the silence.

    "David," she whispered, her voice quivering. She wasn't sure what she was going to say after that, but it didn't matter. The moment his name passed her lips, David was moving. In two steps he reached her, gathering her in his arms and pulling her tightly against him. Her gasp of surprise was quickly cut off as David bent his head to hers and claimed her mouth with his own. 

    He kissed her deeply, hungrily, with none of the tentativeness that had characterized their kiss in the jungle before Barnes had found them. His lips moved eagerly over hers, tasting, caressing, as he continued to hold her to him. Their mouths clung and held, striving desperately to find the sweetness in the other.

    David threaded his fingers through her silky curls, loving the feel of her hair in his hands. His tongue darted out to trace over her lips, silently begging entrance to her mouth. With a tiny groan, she opened her mouth. David finally tasted the unique flavor that was Isabelle, a sensation more heady than the most expensive champagne, as well as an earthier flavor. He laughed silently. She had been snacking on fruits shortly before his arrival. 

    He tore his mouth away from Isabelle's only to move to the delicate skin of her neck. She whimpered as he kissed and nibbled at the sensitive flesh, her hands clutching him frantically when he found the pulse point just below her jaw. David's own hands were not idle, one keeping her crushed to him while the other ran ceaselessly over her arm, along the dip of her waist and the gentle curve of her hip, then back up to the slope of her shoulder.  

    David walked forward until Isabelle could feel the wall of her office against her back, and felt David pressing the length of his body against hers. She could also feel how much he wanted her. His kisses moved from her throat up to her ear, where he gently nipped her earlobe before raining tiny kisses along her cheekbone, across her closed eyelids, and then found her mouth again. 

    Lost in a sensual haze, Isabelle kissed David back, until she felt his fingers start to work at the buttons of her blouse. She twisted her mouth away from his dizzying kisses, gasping.

    "David…David, wait," she said, batting his hands away from her blouse. He took a step back, confusion clouding his features. 

    "Isabelle, if you don't want this, I'll stop," he said uncertainly. Isabelle's face was flushed, her lips rosy from his kisses, and he wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms again. However, he was never one to force his attentions where they weren't wanted.

    She shook her head, tendrils of hair dancing across her cheeks. She looked up at him, and he was amazed by the blatant desire he could see in her eyes.

    "No, it's not that," she said. Her lips curved into a gentle smile. "It's just that, well, as much potential as this office has, don't you think we would be a lot more comfortable in my room?"

    David's face abruptly cleared, and he chuckled as Isabelle took his hand and dragged him out of the office and down the hall into her airy bedroom. 

    Once there, Isabelle turned and practically launched herself at David, wrapping her arms around his neck and fastening her mouth on his again. He caught her firmly, returning her kisses, one hand cupping her head and the other pressing against her back. They broke off briefly to work on each other's buttons, nearly tearing the clothing off each other's shoulders in their haste. Once Isabelle had divested David of his shirt, she ran her hands along the firm muscles of his chest, dropping feather-light kisses on his bronzed skin. 

    David closed his eyes in pleasure, before he took his turn and bent his head to nibble on the juncture of Isabelle's neck and shoulder. She tilted her head back, sighing, and gasped as David's hand came up to cup her breast through the thin fabric of her camisole. 

    "Isabelle," David whispered against her ear, his warm breath sending shivers through her, "if you want to stop, we'd better stop now. Because if we don't, I won't be able to."

    She reached up and took his face in her hands, her fey eyes now brilliantly green, his eyes dark with passion. "I don't want to stop, David, I don't want you to ever stop." With that she took his mouth again.

    They shed the rest of their clothing, and David caught his breath at the beauty of the slender form in front of him. When she had slept naked against him that one time to keep him warm, he had not had the privilege of seeing her, only feeling her warmth. Now, he raked his eyes over her, the hot need in them raising a blush to Isabelle's cheeks. He smiled and moved towards her. 

    They tumbled down on the bed, hands everywhere. David was even more magnificent than Isabelle had imagined. She gripped his muscled shoulders as her leg caressed his. David ran his hands over her slim hips and then up her back. She tensed as his fingers touched a scar, the souvenir of her time in prison. He looked at her questioningly, and then shook his head.

    "These scars don't make you any less, Isabelle," he said softly, his hand tracing on of the scar lines. "They only show how strong you are." With that, he turned her over and pressed his lips against one of the scars. Isabelle felt tears well in her eyes at his tender gesture, but refused to let them fall. This was a time of happiness, not sadness. She turned back to face him and hugged him tightly against her.

    They kissed and caressed, bringing each other to a fever pitch as they explored what pleased the other. David gently smoothed his hands over the silken skin of her long legs and the soft dip of her waist, and she in turn sucked on his neck until he couldn't stand the sensation. 

    David pulled her up and kissed her again, their tongues dueling frantically as one of his hands caressed her. She bucked underneath him, moaning her pleasure into his mouth. One slender hand reached for him. He groaned. 

    Unable to wait any longer, he positioned himself between her legs, looking into her passion-glazed eyes to make sure. She nodded slightly, and slowly but surely, they came together. She clutched him tightly, sighing. He felt so _right_ inside her. 

    David paused, struggling for breath. He drew back and looked into her eyes, tenderly smoothing a tendril of hair from her eyes. She smiled, and he captured her lips once more. 

    He kept his pace slow and gentle, thrilling to the sighs his actions were pulling from her throat. Finally, however, Isabelle grew tired of the slow pace and thrust her own hips up.

    David chuckled softly, and drawing her legs up to wrap around his waist, he started to move faster. He bent his head and claimed one breast as his hand mercilessly kneaded the other. She whimpered, and pulled his head up to kiss him soundly. Her tongue darted into his mouth, imitating what their bodies were doing.

    David was on the verge of losing control. Her body was warm and pliant under his, her kisses dizzying, and he could feel the tension building. He ignored the twinge from his injured shoulder. He gripped Isabelle's hips with one hand and suddenly gave into his body's demands to start moving fast and strong. She threw her head back, gasping. They were nearing the white-hot edge of sanity, and Isabelle could care less what happened then. 

    David was lost in sensation, in the feel of Isabelle's warmth and the silk of her skin, in the taste of her mouth and the softness of her hair. The world contracted until it was centered on them, only them, and Isabelle surrendered to the feeling. She shattered around David, crying out his name as pleasure shuddered through her body. The feel of her release catapulted David into the same realm.

    "Isabelle!" he cried out, and with one final movement he exploded inside her as colors burst into starfire behind his closed eyes. With a contented sigh he collapsed on top of her, burying his face into her neck. 

    "Isabelle," he whispered, hearing her rushing heartbeat slowly start to subside. "Isabelle…I love you."

    Isabelle, tenderly stroking his sweat-dampened hair, closed her eyes as two tears squeezed themselves out and slid into her hair. This had been magic, and she had been waiting so long to hear those words from him, but...She kissed his head and pulled him up to face her, staring deeply into his eyes. 

    "You don't have to say it if you don't mean it, David," she said quietly, working on recovering her breath. "That was…incredible, but I don't expect more from you."

    He smiled, and one hand reached out to smooth the tears away from her cheeks. "I'm not just saying it, Isabelle. I mean it. I would never say that to you if I didn't mean it." He grinned impishly. "You'd deck me if I did."

    She smiled wryly, turning her head away, but he caught her chin and made her look at him. "I mean it. I love you, Isabelle. I love you."

    She searched his eyes, and without warning kissed him. When she pulled back, he looked at her with a bemused expression.

    "I love you, too, David, oh, I love you too," she said, her voice catching. 

    David smiled, and then gently rolled them to their sides, pulling Isabelle tightly against him and tugging the sheet up around them. She snuggled into his warmth, hugging his arms to her. He inhaled the lavender fragrance of her hair, and sighed. Making love to Isabelle had been as close to heaven as he figured he could come without actually going there. Isabelle, for her part, was thinking pretty much the same thing.

    Happy and replete, they fell asleep holding each other.

    A few hours later, David woke up to feel warmth against him, and he smiled and opened his eyes to see Isabelle looking at him tenderly, her eyes soft. She had propped her chin up on her hands, which were resting on his chest. His arm was still around her. He leaned over and kissed her. He looked her over when he let her go. Her hair was a tangle of tumbled curls, but the smile on her face was absolutely beautiful. 

    "Hi," he said softly. 

    "Good afternoon," she replied. His widened as he took in the quality of light in the room, and she grinned at his expression. "We were asleep for a few hours. I'm guessing maybe some people wonder where we are."

    He snorted. "I'll bet there's at least one who knows perfectly well where we are."

    She laughed, and then cocked her head to the side, raising one eyebrow at him. He sighed. She never had that expression unless she had something serious to say or ask. He waited.

    "Are you at all sorry, about this?" she said, gesturing to them. He was not surprised at the question. In spite of the amazing way they had come together, she was too used to being disappointed in life to immediately accept what had happened. He drew her to him and held her tightly, resting his head against hers.

    "Never," he murmured. "I would never be sorry about us."

    She smiled, and pulled away until she was in the same position as when he woke.   
    "I have another question, then," she said. The smile on her face was genuine, and David knew that while she might still have doubts, at least she was surer of his feelings than before.

    "Go ahead."

    "I wanted to ask you how you felt about inviting Mauriri back as a partner." 

    David made a noise and dropped his head back to stare at the ceiling. He still kept a hold of Isabelle, but she could feel the tenseness that had come over him.

    "I don't know if he wants that, Isabelle. Besides, you're a perfectly capable partner."

    She turned his head to make him look at her. "I know I'm capable, David, but I'm not as good as Mauriri is. He understands the sea. It's his friend. And asking him back doesn't mean that I'd want out. I would just have less to do with the actual running of the ship, and that's fine with me. Besides, I know he still cares. As mad at you as he was, you're still his friend. You don't think it was me or Katie that made him come out to Raiatea, do you?"

    He sighed, shaking his head.

    "Well then," she continued, "You need to talk to him. Explain to him that even if he is still angry with you, that you need him as a partner. And as a friend. I think he might be inclined to at least give you another chance. You didn't see his face when he saw you injured on the island."

    David stared at her for a long moment, gazing into her unflinching eyes. How was it that the women around him saw far more than he was capable of seeing? He grinned suddenly and kissed her, making a thorough production of it. When he released her, she was dreamy-eyes and smiling.

    "Bossy," he said, trailing a finger along her delicate cheek.  
    "Of course," she replied archly. 

    "I like it," he laughed, before capturing her lips once again. They continued on that way, making love until the pleasure swept them away once more.

            *                *                 *                      *                  *                       *

    Katie took a deep breath, raising one hand to make sure that her hair was in place, and smoothing down the skirt of her dress. After her talk with David, she had gone inside and taken a good look at herself in the mirror in her room. She was shocked that she did, indeed, as David had said, resemble Death warmed over. Wandering downstairs, she had run into Lavinia, who had told her that if she did need to talk more, she would introduce Katie to Colin, the preacher at the church. Katie had waved her off, knowing that business was starting to pick up for the afternoon, and said she would introduce herself to Colin. After changing, she had headed over to the church.

    She hesitated, but squared her shoulders and knocked on the door. When no one answered, she cautiously pushed the door open and ventured inside. 

    "Hello?" she called. Her voice sounded small, even to her. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Hello? Reverent Trent?"

    A door opened, and a man stood in the doorway.

    "Yes?" he called.

    Katie walked over and stood in front of him. 

    "Hello," she said, holding out her hand. "I'm Katie Leighton. I was wondering if you had a minute."

    Colin took her hand. So this was David's recently arrived friend. Lavinia had told him some of what had happened to David, Isabelle, and Katie on Raiatea. She was more delicate than he had imagined. He could see the shadows under her eyes, and the almost painful slenderness.

    "Pleased to meet you, Miss Leighton. Would you care to come into my office?"

    Katie nodded shyly, and stepped past Colin into the office. It had an open feel in spite of the clutters of papers, probably due to the breeze coming in from the windows. She sat in the chair Colin indicated, and he sat himself down next to her.

    "Now, Miss Leighton," he began, only to have her interrupt him.

    "Katie, please," she said. He smiled gently at her and began again.

    "Now, Katie, what is it that brings you here?" He waited patiently as she fidgeted in her seat, finally taking a deep breath and raising incredibly blue eyes to meet his face. 

    "I was wondering…if I could talk with you…about something that happened to me. I'm sure you've heard what went on at Raiatea." 

    Colin reached out and covered her hand with his own. "Certainly, Katie," he said. "That's what I'm here for, to listen."

    She smiled gratefully before taking a deep breath and sitting up just a little bit straighter in her chair. 

    "I came here to Matavai because there had been a problem with some of our South Sea ships. I ran into David, and we agreed…"

    Katie talked, and Colin listened, with compassion for the brave young woman pouring her heart out to him. They talked for a long time, until the tears that Katie shed had dried on her face, and she ran out of things to say. They sat there quietly, just listening to the gentle sounds of the island breeze, until Katie looked up at Colin, and, for the first time since she sat down in his office, she smiled.

    The next morning David finally emerged from Isabelle's place, grinning like a fool. _Correction_, he though to himself, _you're grinning like a love struck fool_. He supposed that that was right enough. He hadn't meant to blurt out his feelings to Isabelle, but she seemed to have taken them in stride. He remembered the way his heart had swelled when she'd whispered her own admission back to him. They had spent the rest of the afternoon and most of the night alternating between making love and simply talking, with a break or two to eat. David suspected that their tryst was no secret-Matavai was not a large town, and he was sure that a few people had seen him heading towards Isabelle's place. He'd woken up to find her gone, but she had left a note telling him that she'd had some errands to run and would be back later.

    He whistled cheerfully as he walked towards Lavinia's bar. Images from the day and night before ran through his mind. Isabelle kissing him…Isabelle running her hands over his chest…the smell of her hair…the feel of her body against his…He stopped abruptly, feeling a rising heat in his cheeks. Lost in reverie, he'd nearly walked past the bar. He peered inside. There!

    Katie was sitting at one of the tables, sipping tea out of one of Lavinia's delicate china cups and staring out at the morning sun turning the waves to gold. She looked better than she had the day before. The dark circles under her eyes had lessened, and she had an air of peace about her that had been missing. David smiled and headed inside.

    Katie looked up at his entrance and her lips curved up. She stretched a hand out, which David took and kissed before sitting down by her.

    "Isn't it a lovely morning, David?" she said, still holding his hand. David nodded, taking in the relaxed set of her features. He was glad to see that some of her tension had been released. 

    "How was Isabelle this morning?" Katie continued with studied casualness, barely able to suppress the grin. She was fairly certain of what would happen if David went to see Isabelle, and his startled reaction proved that her suspicions were correct. He stammered, and then shook his head.

    "She's fine," he answered shortly. He was a little flustered, especially by Katie's knowing smile, but realized that everyone would know about this soon enough. He directed his attention back at the girl. "How are you?"

    "I'm good, David. I had a nice talk with Reverend Trent yesterday. He's just as good a listener as you are." 

    So she had gone to see Colin. He knew that Lavinia would likely suggest that as soon as he had left, and was glad to see that Katie had followed up on Lavinia's advice. 

    "I'm glad to hear it," he said. Turning his head, he caught a glimpse of Lavinia, and raised his hand in a slight wave. 

    Lavinia smiled back at him. He looked wonderfully relaxed. With a slight twinge, she understood what must have happened. He and Isabelle had come to some understanding. They had probably spent the night together. Lavinia was not naïve enough to think that if David talked to Isabelle, the feelings between the two would go on being ignored. She had noticed the spark between them almost from the first, and had seen it grow. She considered Isabelle a friend now, and really was glad that David had found happiness again, but she couldn't help being a little sad. David had played such an important part in her life, but they both knew they weren't exactly right for each other. She wanted him to be happy, but it was hard to admit that she finally had to let him go. She sighed, and turned back to the business of restocking the bar.

    She saw Mauriri come in and order a cup of coffee, and saw him exchange the same polite pleasantries with David as before. She caught Katie's eye, and Katie shook her head. It was painful to them both to see such previously good friends still at such odds. She wondered what they could do…

    A little later, Isabelle came by and joined Katie for lunch. Lavinia and, surprisingly, Lianni, soon joined them. Isabelle was a little nervous around Lavinia, but the gentle island woman soon put her at ease.

    "It's all right, Isabelle," Lavinia said, with a wry smile. "I know about you and David. I could see it in his face. And I am glad for you both, I really am."

    Isabelle smiled gratefully. As much as she knew that she and David were right for each other, she had still been worried about the reception from their friends, especially Lavinia, who'd been such a part of David's past. 

    Katie, with innocent eyes, asked, "Isabelle, did something happen between you and David?"

    Isabelle's eyes widened as Lavinia choked out a laugh, and then she herself was laughing. 

    "As if you didn't know!" she retorted to the girl. Katie only grinned smugly as the other three women kept laughing. They teased Isabelle gently for a few minutes, Katie laughing herself at the pink cheeks of the woman, until Lavinia grew serious again.

    "I have something to discuss with you," she began. "It's why I asked Lianni to come as well. It's about David and Mauriri." Isabelle and Katie stopped and paid attention to Lavinia.

    "Even though you, Katie, haven't been here to see it, I know you know how close David and Mauriri were. And how much they still care, in spite of everything that happened. Now, I think we all can see how this rift is tearing them apart."

    "Mauriri spends too much time looking at the ocean," Lianni interjected softly. "Too much time looking and doing nothing. He doesn't smile as much as he used to. I understand how much David hurt him, but I can see how much my husband misses his best friend, and how much Tevaki and Tahnee miss their Uncle David."

    Katie and Isabelle nodded. They had both seen the awkwardness between the two men, and the look in their eyes. There was a sadness between the two that Isabelle wanted to clear away. She cared for both of the men, and wanted to find a way for them to at least try and solve their problem.

    "I don't know what we can do," Lavinia continued. "I've tried talking to them both, as I think we all have." Three heads nodded assent. "If anyone has any other suggestions, I think we'd all like to hear them.

    The four women sat there and thought. They weren't sure what they could do to help David and Mauriri. Suddenly Isabelle straightened up with an unholy gleam in her eyes. 

    "I think I might have an idea," she said, "and it's rather far-fetched. But with these two, it just might work." Glancing around to make sure that no one was listening, Isabelle gestured for the others to put their heads together, and they spent the next twenty minutes refining Isabelle's plan.

    Later that day, David arrived at Isabelle's stables. She'd sent a note requesting his help on restocking one of her storage sheds. He smiled in anticipation of seeing her.

    "Isabelle?" he called. "Isabelle, where are you?" Hearing no answer, he decided to go see if he could find her. She'd said that she wanted to work in the second shed, so he went there. The door was open, and he went inside.

    "Isabelle?" he called again. To his surprise, another form appeared out of the shadows.

    "David?" Mauriri said in surprise. He'd been expecting Isabelle. Lianni had told him that Isabelle had specifically asked if he would be willing to do some repair work on the shelves in her storage shed. He'd come, and Isabelle had directed him to start on the shelves at the back, which were in minor disrepair.

    David advanced a few steps. He was confused. Where was Isabelle?  
    "Mo?" he said. "What are you doing here? I was supposed to meet Isabelle."

    "I'm working on her shelves," Mauriri said. "She didn't mention that you were going to be here. I had the impression that I'd be working alone."

    David's eyes narrowed. "I smell a rat," he said, "a lovely dark-haired rat who is being meddlesome."

    Before Mauriri could reply, they heard a creak. They turned in time to see Isabelle shutting the door to the shed, and then the unmistakable sound of a lock. They rushed to the door, but they were too late. 

    "Isabelle!" David yelled. "What the hell are you doing?"

    Isabelle stepped away from the door, a little leery. David sounded furious. However, the nods from Lavinia, Lianni and Katie reassured her.  

    "We all think you two need to settle things, David," she called back. "And you need to stay put until you do settle things."

    "We?"

    Isabelle gulped. "Yes, we. Me, Katie, Lavinia, and Lianni."

    "Lianni?" Mauriri yelped in shock, adding his voice to David's.

    "Yes, Lianni," his wife said. "I've had enough of you moping around. You and David aren't leaving until you work it out between yourselves."

    "Open this door!" David shouted, pounding on the door. It rattled, but held steady. "Isabelle! Lavinia! Katie! This is stupid! Let us out!"

    "No," Katie shot back. "You two need to talk, and when you've convinced us that you've worked things out, then you can come out."

    "Katie," David growled. The girl merely bid him goodbye and moved over to where the others were waiting.

    "Do you think it will work?" she asked anxiously.

    Isabelle sighed. "It'd better, or they're going to kill us for this little stunt." She put her arms around Katie's shoulders, and the four women settled themselves to wait.

    Inside the shed, David and Mauriri pounded a few more times, and then stopped, realizing that they were indeed stuck. They turned, eyeing each other warily. Finally David took a breath.

    "So, what do you say, Mauriri? They're not going to let us out, so we might as well try to talk."

    Mauriri was silent for a moment, and then he, too conceded defeat. 

    "OK," he said. "Let's talk."

_So, what will happen between Mauriri and David? And what will happen with Katie? Stay tuned for chapter 8_! 


	8. Part VIII

Part VIII 

    The two men spent the next couple of minutes involved in figuring out how to start talking. They each opened their mouths a half-dozen times; abruptly closing them when nothing came out. Finally David sighed.

    "So, Mauriri. Anything you want to say?"

    Mauriri raised an eyebrow and just stared at David. David shook his head. This was not going well at all. 

    "OK, I'll start." 

    He fidgeted slightly, trying to find the words he wanted. Mauriri waited patiently, though he couldn't help feeling a tiny knot in his stomach. Tension that had started the minute David became involved with Jenny was finally coming to a head. Mauriri prayed for the self-control to hear David out. 

    "It actually started long before…Jenny," David said, startling Mauriri. He blinked and focused on the _Rattler_'s captain, who was staring at a point somewhere to Mauriri's left. The way David dragged Jenny's name from between his teeth told Mauriri that even dead she still could hurt him. David took a deep breath and continued.

    "You know some of what I've told you about my father, right? His attitude and prejudices?" His eyes flicked briefly to Mauriri, who nodded, and David went on. "He had very strong ideas about who was right and who was wrong, and what _kinds_ of people were right and wrong. There was a girl, a friend of mine. For a time I fancied her, but that went away and she was just my friend. Her name was Sarah. 

    "Sarah was vivacious, kind, but a bit of a free spirit. It didn't help that her family background was not the best, or that she lived in the poorer section of town. But she knew the best trails to run, the best places to watch the sea, so nothing else mattered to me. She started working for one of the women in town sewing shirts. It required late hours, and often Sarah wouldn't head for home until after 11 at night."

    He paused then, gathering his thoughts, and Mauriri watched his face settle into an expression of anger and sadness. 

    "One morning, after she had come home very late the night before, the magistrate came and arrested her. He said that a woman fitting her description had accosted another woman the night before, taunting her fine clothes and snatching at her jewelry. Before she left, she shoved the woman, who fell and hit her head. The woman died a few hours later from the blow. Sarah was arrested. I was in shock. I knew Sarah would sometimes tease the richer people for their attitudes, but I never imagined she would hurt anyone.

    "I went to see her. She swore that it wasn't her, that she hadn't done anything. But my father had railed to me about her, telling me that it was typical for trash like Sarah, and that if I valued my reputation and my place in his home, I would not believe her 'obvious' lies. I didn't want to think her capable, but there had been a witness, and I knew her temper…I didn't speak up for her, didn't try to find the person she insisted was the real criminal. She was sentenced to 20 years in prison."

    David bit his lip, his eyes clouded with the memories so painful to him. Mauriri waited in silence.

    "I defied my father then. I secretly looked for that other person. A few months later, I finally found that it really had been another woman, another person who knew Sarah and her habits. She had accosted the woman who'd died, and after hearing that, in her fear she told the police that she had seen someone, and gave them Sarah's description. She didn't think that Sarah would really be convicted. Most people knew that she wasn't capable of violence like that. Sarah was released, but prison had taken its toll on her. She was weak, sick. Do you remember how Isabelle was when we found her that time?" Mauriri nodded, wincing as he remembered the bruises that had covered Isabelle, and the pain she had been in. 

    "Sarah was worse. And it wasn't just her body; her spirit had been damaged. Not so much by the prison, but by the lack of faith from her friends, especially from me. It broke my heart to see the hurt in her eyes when she looked at me. She didn't have the strength to recover. She died two weeks later. I was there with her. In her last moments she told me that she forgave me, and she was glad I had tried to do right by her, and glad that I was with her at the end. 

    "And I railed at my father then. I screamed at him that if I had only listened to my own heart, I could've done something. Sarah had been innocent! He yelled back that I was an ungrateful wretch, that Sarah was probably guilty of something else anyway, and that if I didn't apologize I was no longer welcome in his house. So the next day I set foot on a boat and never looked back."

    David's fists were clenched at his side, and the look on his face hurt Mauriri. It was the look of a man who had been lost, and was still not quite sure of the way home. He kept still, because David was not quite done.

    "So now, when I see a woman in trouble, I always wonder if I can help. If I can prove to myself that my father wasn't always right and that my instincts can be trusted. I believed in Isabelle, and she proved me right. And Jenny…I wanted so badly to believe her. I think she knew that. And she played me like a violin."

    "Why couldn't you tell me this, David?" Mauriri interjected. "It would have explained a lot."  
    "Would you have understood me taking the money?"  
    Mauriri snorted. "No, but we might have found another way."

    David shook his head. "I couldn't see another way. She sounded so desperate, and I wanted to save her. I _needed_ to save her."

    "You could have come to me. I was supposed to be your best friend!" Mauriri's voice was starting to rise in pitch. While David's words had settled something that had been ticking Mauriri's mind ever since he'd known David, the months of frustration and anger and hurt were bubbling to the surface. He could no more stop himself than he could stop the _Rattler_ if she were headed for him in the open sea.

    "I didn't want to involve you in my problem!" David yelled back. Somewhere in his mind he knew this wasn't being said right, but he was starting to get caught up in the moment.

    "That's what best friends do, David. They let each other try to help when they have problems! And the minute you even _considered_ taking that money, it became _my_ problem as well!" 

    "I know that!" David shouted. He tried to calm himself with a deep breath, but it didn't work. His anger and betrayal, mostly at Jenny, had him in their grip, and wouldn't let him go. "I knew you would say no! I knew you would get angry."  
    "Of course I would get angry, David! That money wasn't just for me, it was for my family! For Lianni, and Tevaki, and Tahnee! It was my livelihood, David, and you stole it out from under me!"

    "I knew what you would do, Mo! And I didn't want you to. I was so lost in my need to atone and what I thought was love that I turned a blind eye. I didn't want you to talk sense into me!"

    "What!" Mauriri roared. He rushed at David and shoved him so that he hit the wall of the shed, then advanced on him until they were standing nose to nose. Mauriri's anger radiated off of him in waves so strong that David could almost swear that he could see them. But he offered no resistance to Mauriri. He took in a ragged gulp of air.

    "A part of me knew she was lying, Mauriri," he said, without rancor. The last yell seemed to have taken all the wind out of his sails, and the haunted pain in his eyes hit Mauriri suddenly. He took a step away from David.

    Outside, the four women had been listening to the muffled voices. They could not make out words, but the rising shouts and the anger that they could hear made them nervous. A thud against the shed wall made them all jump. They exchanged nervous glances, wondering whether David or Mauriri was the one who had slammed into the wall. In the sudden quiet they could hear their hearts pounding.

    Inside the shed, David ran a shaking hand over his face. He looked up and met Mauriri's eyes head-on. 

    "I knew she was lying, knew that she had been lying from the moment she met me. I knew she had killed. But the other part of me didn't want to believe it. It wanted to believe that she loved me, that I had been right about her. It wanted to believe that she had been redeemed. It wanted to prove that my father was still wrong and that I had escaped from his shadow. And I think that part of me was afraid that you would make me see reason. You would make me see what an idiot I had been, and how much I'd put my friends through. I didn't want to see, Mo, I didn't want to see." He slid down the wall and sat heavily on the ground, resting his head in his hands. Mauriri crouched down as well.

    His voice slightly muffled, David said, "And I didn't want to drag you down with me. I didn't want my best friend put into danger. And I couldn't bear to see the shame in your eyes when you looked at me, at the stupid person I had been."

    Mauriri closed his eyes. Of course. In his bumbling way, David had been trying to spare him from the repercussions of his actions. He had been trying to keep Mauriri away from the stone-cold killer that part of him had known Jenny was. It was stupid, and inconsiderate, but in the final analysis David had been doing his best to keep Mauriri out of harm's way. He sighed gustily. David raised his head, his eyes smarting, and looked at Mauriri with a confused expression.

    "I was waiting for you to slug me," he said. Mauriri chuckled weakly.

    "I would have, but you were doing a far better job of beating yourself up than I could have done."

    David smiled. Mauriri gripped his arm.

    "I do understand, David. You acted like a complete idiot, but I do understand. I didn't know."

    "I was ashamed to let you know."

    "Don't be. You do things with your heart, David, and while that can sometimes backfire, at least you do put your heart into it. You care. But if you want to continue being my best friend, you have to promise not to hold things back from me. Best friends are like family, David, and family shares in each other's pain so that the burden doesn't become too big for one person to carry."

    David's face brightened. "You still want me as your friend?"

    "As my best friend, David. And my children want their uncle back. And I think my wife would like me to stop moping around the house." They both grinned at that one. 

    "Mauriri, I promise not to keep you out of the loop again. God knows what a mistake that was. I'm sorry, I am so sorry for my actions. It was a cowardly thing to do."

    "No, David, it was only dumb, and scared. And it didn't help that Jenny'd scrambled your brains." He grinned at the gentle jab to David. 

    David looked at him, all the mirth gone from his expression. 

    "Are we OK, Mo? I mean really OK?"

    Mauriri considered, just long enough for a twinge of panic to rise in David's gut, before he slowly nodded.   
    "We're OK, David. Really."

    "Then would you like to try coming back as a partner?"

    Mauriri's eyes widened in surprise. That was unexpected. 

    "But what about Isabelle? She's your partner now."

    David shook his head. "She's the one who suggested I ask you. She wants you back as well. She says that she's better as the partner who would keep our books and schedule jobs than to actually work the _Rattler_. Not that she isn't a good sailor now, but she says you need the sea far more than she does."

    "Oh, she does, does she?" Mauriri said with a raised eyebrow. "Just when did you and Isabelle discuss inviting me back?"

    "Yesterday, after we…" and David trailed off, his cheeks suddenly scarlet. Mauriri laughed. So the rumors he had heard from Lianni were true. He found that he was glad for David and Isabelle. He was also glad that they had stopped the stupid little dance they were doing around each other and admitted what they were feeling.

    "That's good," he said, "you and her. She's an amazing person. And haven't I been saying for a while that there was a connection between the two of you?"

    David smiled. "Yeah, she is quite an amazing woman. She was thinking of us. She wants you and your family to be provided for, she wants you to be happy, and she wants me to have my best friend back. She wants us all to be friends again."

    "So do you love her?" Mauriri asked. 

    "Yes," David mumbled. Mauriri leaned closer.

    "I'm sorry, I must have sand in my ears. What did you say?"

    David scowled. "I said yes, I love her. Happy?"

    "Ecstatic." 

    They eyed each other, and without warning burst out laughing. They sank weakly against the wall, laughing until tears ran out of their eyes. The release of tension was palpable, and they laughed all the harder because of it. 

    Finally, they stopped and simply sat quietly for several minutes. David turned to Mauriri.

    "Isabelle said that she has a few jobs lined up that could pay us quite nicely. So what do you say we talk about a few trial runs on the _Rattler_ to get you back into the wing of things…partner?" He held out his hand to Mauriri.

    The tall Polynesian man studied David for a long moment, then reached out and clasped the hand of his best friend. 

    They sat for a good hour, discussing jobs and how David and Mauriri would split the profits with Isabelle until the Rattler was paid off and they could buy her back. David wanted to keep Isabelle as a business partner, as her head for numbers and her ability to make contacts were generating them a good business. Mauriri was happy for it; he had grown quite fond of the woman. They also talked more about David and his father, what they had thought during the whole Jenny affair, and their excitement about working together again. 

    There had been a companionable silence for a while when David stood and dusted off his pants. 

    "What do you say we go outside and give those women a piece of our minds before we thank them for being sneaky and conniving?" He grinned, and Mauriri grinned back, before they carefully schooled their features and David pounded on the door.

    "Isabelle! Lavinia, Katie, Lianni! We've settled things, we promise! Now let us out!"

    The women cautiously approached the door. When they reached it, Isabelle nervously toyed with the key.

    "Do you think they really have settled things?"

    Lianni shrugged. "There's one way to find out," she said. Raising her voice slightly, she called to her husband. "Mauriri, is it really settled, or will the hammock be comfortable for you tonight?"

    Inside, Mauriri choked back laughter. "She knows me too well," he said to David. "Yes, we've settled it, Lianni!"

    Lianni turned back to the others. "They've settled it," she announced calmly.

    Isabelle and Katie exchanged one more nervous glance before Isabelle inserted the key in the lock and removed it. She and Katie took several steps back from the door. They felt Lavinia and Lianni step reassuringly to their sides as David and Mauriri emerged, blinking in the late afternoon sunlight.

    Mauriri and David both scowled, then headed towards the women, Mauriri towards Lianni, and David towards Isabelle, Katie, and Lavinia. 

    Mauriri reached Lianni first. 

    "Why didn't you try to stop them?" he said to his wife. 

    "Why do you think I agreed to tell you that Isabelle wanted you to do some work for her?" Lianni said, arching one eyebrow. "Locking you two in that shed seems to have done a world of good for your relationship."

    Her calm admission left Mauriri without a leg to stand on, and he reached out and hugged her. 

    "Thank you," he whispered. "Now let's get home."

    He raised his head and called to David. "See you tomorrow for dinner!"

    With that, he and Lianni turned and headed for home.

    David turned back and pinned the three women with a glare. Lavinia and Katie returned the glare without flinching, but Isabelle shrank back slightly from him.

    "Do you have anything to say for yourselves?" he nearly growled. Crossing his arms, he stared at them. "Mo and I didn't appreciate being tricked and locked up in a shed. You didn't have a right to meddle."

    To the surprise of all, it was Katie that responded. 

    "Of course we had the right, David," she shot back, her blue eyes glittering. "Since you two couldn't seem to get anything done on your own, we decided to take matter into our own hands. We all love you, David, and it was killing us to see how things stood between you and Mauriri."

    "Besides, David," Lavinia added, "that's the first time I've heard you call Mauriri 'Mo' in months. I saw your expressions just now. You have your best friend again, David. Appreciate that."

    She turned on her heel and with a little huff walked away towards the bar. David stared after her. It was a little unsettling to be scolded by Lavinia! He turned back to Isabelle and Katie. His eyes landed on the woman who was trying hard not to look at him.

    "Isabelle? Look at me." 

    She slowly brought her eyes to his. 

    "David, I-"

    "Don't do that again!" he said. The irritation he'd felt after he realized that Isabelle had tricked him and Mauriri and then had locked them in the shed returned and showed in his face and voice. "I know perfectly well that this had to be your idea. You can't just try and arrange things to suit yourself. I want to trust you not to try and force me." 

    Isabelle said nothing, but her eyes were shining just a little too brightly, before she turned and started to walk away. She managed to get about ten feet away before Katie called.

    "Isabelle, wait!" she exclaimed. Isabelle continued a few more feet. "Isabelle, please, wait!" Katie called again. This time Isabelle halted, but didn't turn back. Katie turned to David with a glare so fierce that he took a step back.

    "Don't you dare reprimand her, David! Yes, it was her basic idea, but we were all in on it. Lianni got Mauriri here. Lavinia gave you Isabelle's note. And I was the one who suggested the shed. And she did it because she loves you, David! She loves you so much that what you said right now really hurt her."

    She advanced until she was toe-to-toe with David. 

    "You go over there and apologize, you great big idiot, and thank her for giving you a way to have your best friend back. Go!"

    She shoved him in Isabelle's direction and headed towards Lavinia's. David could hear her muttering as she walked. He though he caught the words "bullheaded idiot" and "ungrateful" just before she disappeared around the edge of the stable. He turned back to Isabelle, who was still not facing him. He saw the slump of her shoulders and silently cursed. Katie was right; he was being an idiot. He walked over to her.

    He put his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him. He saw one tear slip free and slide down her cheek, and his heart gave a sudden lurch. He _had_ hurt her! He gently wiped away the tear with him thumb.

    "I'm sorry, David," she whispered. "We wanted to see you two friends again. We couldn't stand to see you so sad. We just wanted you two to be like you were before."

    He sighed. 

    "We can't be like we were before, Isabelle," he said. She looked down, but David put a finger under her chin and raised her eyes to meet his. "Now we can be even better. And it's thanks to you."

    She smiled tremulously and raised her hand to his face. 

    "I'm glad for you," she said softly. She kissed his cheek. 

    David pulled her into his arms. "I'm sorry," he said into her soft hair. "I didn't mean to hurt you with what I said. I was just reacting instead of thinking. I do trust you, and I know that you were just trying to help. But," he said, kissing her forehead before he drew back to look at her, "the next time you get the desire to help me, try talking to me before locking me in a storage shed full of horse feed!" His smile told her that he wasn't really angry. 

    She slipped her arms around him and held tightly. His arms came around to press her more closely to him. 

    "Thank you, Isabelle," he said quietly. He could feel her smiling against his chest.

    "You're welcome, David," she replied. "I love you. So very much."

    He grinned. "I love you too, Isabelle. Would you like to show me how much you love me?"

    She laughed as she looked up to see his seductive smile. "Why, Captain Grief, are you suggesting that such fine upstanding citizens such as ourselves engage in anything remotely carnal in nature?"

    She gasped as he bent down and kissed her neck. 

    "I'm not suggesting, Miss Reed. In fact, I insist that we engage in many things that are quite carnal in nature. Interested?" 

    She had no time to reply before he captured her mouth in a passionate kiss that spoke volumes about his feelings for her, as well as unspoken thanks for her actions. When they broke the kiss, Isabelle took his hand. 

    "Let's go upstairs, David."

    "Whatever the lady wants, she gets," David said as he followed Isabelle across the yard and up the stairs. When they reached her room, he stopped and said, "Isabelle, I am sorry about what I said."

    "I know, David," she said, then seized his collar. "Now shut up."

    "Yes, ma'am!" 

    He kicked the door closed behind them. 

 *                              *                          *                         *                         *                     *

    The next day David and Isabelle headed over to Lavinia's. Isabelle sat at the table as David got tea and some pastries for them. They sat at a table and talked, occasionally laughing. Lavinia joined them after a while. She smiled at the way the two of them constantly found ways to touch each other, even if it was just a brush of one's fingers across the other's arm. She even laughed when David leaned over and kissed Isabelle's cheek, which made the woman's face as fiery as a sunset.  

    Mauriri found them there a few minutes later and was heartily invited to sit. He, David and Isabelle launched into a discussion about the upcoming runs, and Lavinia found herself occupied by Colin Trent, who stopped by to ask her a question about one of the families. 

    They had all been engaged in lively conversation for a while when Katie came down the stairs. She paused on the second-to-last step and just watched them. David and Mauriri were arguing some of the finer points of sails and wood, with Isabelle throwing in a comment here and there. David and Isabelle would glance at each other from time to time, and neither could help the silly grins that spread across their faces. Lavinia was listening attentively to Colin as he gestured animatedly about something that Katie couldn't quite make out. She smiled. Colin had been a godsend for her. She'd had no idea the release that simply talking could provide. She raised an eyebrow as she noticed that Colin was looking at Lavinia with something a little more than simple friendship. Hmm, interesting. She grinned and shook her head.

    The men and woman looked up as Katie approached, and stopped talking. Their smiles invited the girl to join them. She smiled back and stopped in front of them.

    "I'm glad you're all here," she said, looking at the faces that had become dear to her in the short time she had known them, with the exception of David, whom she had already loved.

    "Why is that, Katie?" David said, leaning back in his seat and resting his hand on Isabelle's on the table. 

    Katie took a deep breath as the others looked at her expectantly. She'd spent much of the night thinking and weighing her choices before deciding on her course of action.

    "I'm glad you're all here, David, because I've come to a decision about what I'm going to do with the South Seas shipping route."

TBC….

_Up next in the epilogue: What will Katie's decision be, and what will it mean to our cast of characters? Stay tuned for the epilogue to "Changes"!_


	9. Epilogue

**Author's Note: Thanks to everyone who read this. After all this time it's finally done! Thanks for sticking by and reading and reviewing. And don't worry, I do have a sequel in mind. So please, please, PLEASE, read and review one last time!! So ends this chapter in the lives of our friends in the South Seas.  
**  
**EPILOGUE**  
  
Her words sent a ripple of curiosity through the group, and they all exchanged glances before turning their attention back to Katie. She smiled back at all of them and took another deep breath. David's face became concerned. A breath like that usually did not mean good news.

"I've been over all of the inventory reports and loss and recovery sheets that my office here had on file for me," she began. "The damage done has been extensive. Even with the recovered cargo, Leighton Shipping took quite a loss with these pirate attacks. The stipulation in my father's will concerning the South Seas venture was that after the first six months, the shipping route show a five percent profit from starting costs. The starting costs were rather low; my people were able to get good ships and good supplies at very reasonable prices. Our reputation allowed us to sign with several merchants before we even launched.

"We expected that the even though it was a new venture, the profit margin would be able to match that small amount set. The figures from the past five months show that we were going to reach that goal. But the attacks set us back enough that, as of now, we've barely broken even."

She paused and tucked an errant strand of hair behind her ear. David could see that there was more to come that was difficult for her to say. The group waited for her to begin again.

"There is no profit. My father's will clearly states that the company will not support this venture without profit to show for it. As much as my father wanted to develop it, the route was always a very chancy thing. Therefore, as of tomorrow, Leighton Shipping will not spend its money on the South Seas shipping route."

There was a murmur among the group at her words. Leighton Shipping would have been good for Matavai and the surrounding islands. It would have brought jobs and revenue for many of the people of the islands and the sailors that passed through them.

David tensed, and Isabelle felt the change in the hand that gripped her own. She looked at him and saw the sadness beginning to creep into his eyes. She knew, as he must, that without the shipping route, Katie would have to go back to America immediately to oversee her other affairs. She knew that he would miss Katie terribly. He had been relishing this chance to get to know her again. Isabelle knew that she would miss Katie as well. She was a bright, spunky, intuitive girl who was delightful to be around, and Isabelle knew full well that Katie had played a part in her new understanding with David, as well as the reconciliation beginning between David and Mauriri. She squeezed David's hand warmly, silently offering him her support.

Katie watched them, and caught the look in David's eyes. She noticed the same look in Isabelle, as well as Lavinia and Mauriri. She felt a rush of warmth at the knowledge that they would miss her. She allowed a tiny smile to creep onto her face.

David noticed it first, and a puzzled frown grew on his face. Why was she smiling? Katie looked at him and the smile widened further.

"However, just because Leighton Shipping itself will not spend its money on the further development of a South Seas shipping route, doesn't mean that the heir to the Leighton holdings can't spend her own money as she pleases." She saw understanding start to dawn on Isabelle's face first. Isabelle was a businesswoman, after all.

"I've instructed my business manager to liquidate several of my smaller assets, and to put that money towards the South Seas route. This was my father's dream and mine; I will not let it just die. I have more than enough money, and if this venture can show the same margin of profit in the next six months, then Leighton Shipping will take over again. So, the Leighton Shipping route will continue in the South Seas!"

She smiled broadly at the small cheer that came from the group at her words. David was grinning, as were Isabelle and Lavinia. He would have a little bit more time with Katie while she set things in order, and the shipping route would no doubt do well for both Isabelle's horse business and Lavinia's bar. Katie held up her hand for quiet. She was not quite done.

"There's more," she said. The group calmed down and again turned their attention to the slim girl. "I've decided that I want to personally oversee the South Seas route development until we reach the necessary profit of margin and my company takes over the funding. To that end, I've made arrangements to rent out a small house not too far from Isabelle's stables. Not that I don't love my room here, Lavinia," she added, nodding to the older woman, "but I need more space for an office, and some space for me. Besides," and her smile turned a bit shy, "I've found some wonderful new friends that I can talk to, and I don't want to leave them quite yet."

She directed her smile at Colin when she said "talk to," making sure he understood that she would still need his ear from time to time. He smiled back reassuringly.

Katie sighed, her mood just a little more somber. "And this place...it's a place I can heal. There's so much that has gone on in the last few years of my life, not to mention what happened here. I want a place where I can think it all over, where I can have some time to sort through it all. Back home there would be too much to do, too many distractions. Here...here, I think I might find some peace."

She looked over at David, and he nodded in understanding. They would do their healing together, he from Jenny's betrayal, and she from her rude awakening into some of the horrors life had to offer.

"So...I'll be staying for at least the next six months. Would that...be all right with you?" Her voice and face were uncertain. In spite of the fact that she knew these were her friends, she was still a little unsure as to what kind of support they might offer.

David dispelled Katie's doubts in an instant as he charged out of his seat and picked her up, whirling her. He laughed in delight, and she giggled in response. His happiness was balm to her bruised soul.

"Oh, Katie, I'm so glad you're going to stay!" David exclaimed, setting her back on the floor and smiling down at her. "I would have missed you terribly if you'd gone right back."

The rest of the group chose that moment to show their support by gathering around Katie and enveloping her in a warm group hug. Her laughter rang out in the bar. They all spent a time talking and planning for Katie's extended stay in Matavai. Colin offered her an open door to his office at any time. Lavinia persuaded Katie to take a tour of the island with her the next day. Isabelle arranged a time for Katie to ride with her, and Mauriri capped the day off by extending an invitation for all of them to join him at his house for dinner the following evening. David simply stood. He knew that Katie understood that he would be there for her in any capacity, and there was no need to make plans. Whatever she needed from him, he would be happy to provide.

They talked for a long time before they realized just how much time had passed. They went their separate ways, but each one paused to hug Katie before they departed. David held her for a long time.

"Are you sure about this?" he whispered into her ear. He was happy that she was going to stay, but he didn't want her to stay just to hide. He pulled back and looked at her.

She nodded. "I am. I'm not running from everything, David. In fact, for the first time, I'm not running. I want to face everything I have to, and here I can. I'll be fine, David, really I will. I love that you care, but it will all work out. I know it."

He smiled and bent down to kiss her cheek, then reached for Isabelle's hand and walked with her out of the bar. Just as they left, he looked back to see Katie waving at him, a sweet smile on her face.

Katie watched David and Isabelle walk out of sight, then turned with a sigh and plopped down into a chair. Lavinia settled herself next to Katie and looked critically at the girl. Katie was still too pale and thin for her liking, but Lavinia could clearly see that she was on the mend. She sat quietly and waited while Katie took a deep breath of the fresh island air.

"Lavinia, I hope that I didn't offend you by finding a place without letting you know. I love it here, I do, I just needed-"

Lavinia cut her off with a raised hand.

"Katie, it's fine. I know that you need more space than a tiny room above a bar. I want you to have a place all your own for now. Besides," she added, grinning, "you paid for two weeks, so I'm ahead a couple of days."

Katie chuckled. "Thank you. The house should be ready the day after tomorrow, and I would love it if you were the first to come see."

Lavinia raised her eyebrows. "Not David?"

Katie rolled her eyes. "I love David dearly, but he just doesn't have a woman's eye for presence and grace in a home. Your bar is arranged so nicely that I want you to see if my house has the same welcoming feel to it."

Lavinia smiled. "I would love to go see your house. Thank you for inviting me. Now how about a little toast to celebrate the news today?" At Katie's nod Lavinia poured a small amount of brandy in two glasses and handed one to Katie.

"To your new venture," Lavinia offered.

"No," Katie corrected gently. "To new friends, and the hope they offer."

The musical clink of the glasses echoed softly in the quiet bar.  
  
The next night was warm and clear as the friends gathered at Mauriri's home and ate dinner together. They brought the food and lanterns out and had a picnic on the sand. Jack and Clare had been added at Lavinia's request. Katie sat among them, laughing as Tevaki and Tahnee chased each other through and around the adults. She nearly choked on her juice with laughter as the little boy tripped over a corner of the blanket and upended a bowl of sliced fruit into Jack's lap. Even Clare had to giggle at the expression on Jack's face.

David and Isabelle sat close together, and David leaned over every once in a while to whisper something to Isabelle. Katie's blue eyes danced in merriment when one of David's comments earned him an exasperated roll of the eyes from Isabelle. David caught her look, and reached out to tickle her. Katie squirmed away from him and threw the bread crust she'd been holding at his head. This little bit of encouragement soon led to a full- fledged food war. Fruit and bread flew furiously as the men and women separated and became two ragged teams. Finally the men conceded defeat after a ripe papaya caught Mauriri in the face.

Katie crouched down near the edge of the water and rinsed her face, watching her friends with a smile. Everyone was at the waterline washing off the remains of the food fight, and she stifled a laugh when David and Colin collided, causing Colin to come up sputtering from his unexpected dunking, his glasses askew. David helped him up with a sheepish expression. She looked up to see Isabelle standing next to her.

"Did you have a nice evening?" Isabelle asked, reaching out to help pull Katie upright. The girl dusted the sand off her skirt and pushed her tumbled hair off her face. She nodded, wrapping her arms around herself and lifting her face to the starry sky.

"It was a wonderful night. I can't remember the last time I had a picnic, much less a picnic dinner. I needed that."

Isabelle gave her a quick hug. "You deserve it. You're looking much better, you know. I'm glad you had a good time tonight."

Katie started to reply, and was interrupted by a yawn that she couldn't help. She clapped her hand over her mouth, and Isabelle chuckled.

"Looks like the evening needs to come to an end," she said, and led Katie back to the group. There they surprised Katie as each person stepped forward to give her a house warming present. Lianni gave her a small basket of jams, which would go beautifully with the bread Clare presented to her. Jack gave her a lovely conch shell he had picked up on one of his voyages, and Colin offered her a small, elegant mirror that a parishioner had donated to him. Mauriri placed a tiny schooner had had carved into her hand, and Lavinia gave her a fragrant bottle of hair rinse. David made her laugh when he presented her with a certificate entitling her to one hour of his time spent putting her things in order, and her eyes sparkled in delight when Isabelle told her that the new two-year-old gelding named Magic, recently purchased for the Reed stables, would be set aside as Katie's horse for as long as she stayed on Matavai.

Finally, after many hugs and exclamations of thanks, the others bid farewell to Mauriri and Lianni. When they reached Lavinia's place, David hugged Katie and sternly told her to get some much-needed rest. She laughed and kissed his cheek before giving a good-bye hug to Isabelle.

Colin offered to escort Clare home, and Jack gallantly kissed her hand before bidding her goodnight. David smiled in amusement as Clare's cheeks colored slightly, and he watched Colin lead Clare off. He turned to Isabelle and reached out to draw her next to him as they walked to her home.

The moonlight gilded Isabelle's face with silver light, and David was entranced. He stopped just before the stairs up to her room to kiss her passionately, twining the fingers of one hand in her thick curls. She responded in kind, pressing herself against him and letting her fingers play with the soft hair at the nape of his neck.

He broke off the kiss and pulled her up the stairs behind him. When they reached her room, and walked in and shut the door, turning back to see Isabelle looking at him with an expression in her eyes that took his breath away. The love he saw shining at him through her silvery-green eyes humbled him with its intensity. He pulled her into his arms and rested his cheek against her head.

"God, I love you," he mumbled into the chestnut strands of her hair. Isabelle smiled and pulled back to look into his eyes. She had always hoped, but never dared dream, to see David looking at her that way. She reached up to caress his cheek, thrilling to the feel of his soft lips as they pressed a kiss to her fingers.

"So, my brave David Grief, what do you think of the changes that have come to Matavai? Good possibilities there, you think?"

"Oh, love," he answered, breathing deeply of the lavender and jasmine fragrance that surrounded the woman who owned his heart, "the possibilities offered here are endless. These changes have been very good indeed."

With that, he kissed her again, and there was nothing more to say.  
  
**THE END**


End file.
